A drink driver who was caught almost three times the limit late on Boxing Day night has been handed a 16 month disqualification.
The 23-year-old, who represented himself, told court this was “the biggest mistake I have ever made”.
Mantas Pikilas, of Festival Road in Portadown, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Craigavon Magistrates’ on Friday.
Porsecution outlined that on December 26, at around 11.45pm, police on patrol in Portadown observed a Volkswagen Polo with a defective tyre driving on Princess Way.
Officers spoke to the driver, who was identified as this defendant, and it was noted that his speech was slurred and a smell of intoxicating liquor was detected.
A preliminary breath test was conducted at the roadside resulting in a fail, with a subsequent evidential sample obtained in custody giving a reading of 101mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – almost three times the legal limit.
Speaking in court, Pikalis decribed this as “the biggest mistake I have ever made”, adding: “I was drunk and I could not control myself not to do that.”
Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes stated: “The difficulty I have is the reading. You could have killed yourself and you could have killed someone else.”
Pikalis was disqualified from driving for 16 months and was ordered to pay a fine of £250, along with the offender’s levy of £15,
The defendant was certified for the drink driving course which would see his ban reduced to one of 12 months upon completion.
