A man who drove the wrong way down a one-way street whilst over the legal drink-drive limit after a wedding in Newry has been disqualified for 12 months.
The 27-year-old’s solicitor told the court that the defendant was “not familiar to the area”.
Connor McGuigan, of Creeslough Walk, Belfast, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and driving without due care or attention at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Court heard that on October 28, at around 11.20am, police witnessed a Volkswagen Golf driving the wrong way down Canal Street, a one-way road.
Officers stopped the vehicle noting McGuigan’s eyes were glazed and his breath smelt of intoxicating liquor.
The defendant failed a preliminary breath test and gave an evidential reading of 72mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath whilst at Banbridge Custody Suite.
Defence solicitor John Murphy stated the previous evening McGuigan had been attending a wedding at the Canal Court.
He said: “Mr McGuigan is from Belfast, he was not familiar with the area and the alcohol was a case of the morning after the night before.”
Court heard the defendant works as an operating theatre assistant at the Musgrave Hospital in Belfast.
McGuigan was handed a 12-month driving ban and ordered to pay a fine of £275, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within four weeks.
