A woman involved in a road-traffic collision was almost three times the legal limit, a court has heard.
Liga Buka, 37, of Orangefield Crescent, Armagh appeared at the City’s Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry Courthouse on Tuesday, charged with driving with excess alcohol in breath.
The charge was read to Buka, who opted to represent herself, and she said she understood the charge.
Buka, who has no record, pleaded guilty to the offence.
The court was told that on October 6, 2024, police received a report of a road-traffic collision on the Hamiltonsbawn Road in Armagh involving a suspected drink-driver.
On arrival, they observed a vehicle stationary in the middle of the road with damage to the front.
Buka was seated in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and admitted to police she had been driving at the time of the collision.
It was ascertained that she had driven into a parked car, causing damage to the front.
When police spoke to Buka, they detected a strong smell of alcohol from her breath. They also noted her eyes were glazed and watery and her speech was slurred.
She appeared intoxicated and admitted to police she had been drinking.
Buka submitted to a roadside breath test, which she failed, returning a reading of 126 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
The legal limit in Northern Ireland is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
She was arrested and, whilst in custody, provided a lower evidential reading of 93.
Speaking to the Judge, Buka said: “I want to apologise. That is my biggest mistake in my world. I’m so sorry, it’s my fault.”
District Judge Anne Marshall stated that due to the fact the reading was nearly three times the limit, and there was a collision, this would be reflected in the driving ban.
Buka was disqualified from driving for 14 months and fined £200.
She was also ordered to pay a £15 offenders’ levy.
