A County Tyrone man has been handed a 12-month disqualification after police witnessed him almost cause an accident whilst drink driving.
A district judge told the 28-year-old, originally from Romania, that he must sit the Northern Ireland test if he wishes to drive in this country.
Lucian Frant, of Aughnacloy, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Court heard that on September 30, at around 1.55am, police on patrol at Market Street, Portadown, observed the defendant driving a black BMW.
Frant drove towards the stationary police vehicle before changing lanes and almost colliding with another car.
The defendant had a near miss with another vehicle before making an emergency stop.
Court heard this was despite there being no vehicles on the road in front of Frant’s car.
Officers approached and noted a strong smell of alcohol on the defendant.
Frant failed a preliminary breath test and gave an evidential reading of 70mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Lurgan Custody Suite.
Defence counsel stated: “Mr Frant had been at a party and accepts that he did a foolish thing.”
He added that the defendant came before the court with no record and no excuses.
Frant was handed a 12-month driving ban and ordered to pay a fine of £300, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within six weeks.
District Judge Bernie Kelly said: “You will have to re-sit your test at the end of this ban.
“It has to be the Northern Ireland test. If you go back to Romania and re-sit it there it will not cross over.”
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