Drink driver went out for takeaway

After drinking tins of beer a 57-year-old man decided to get a Chinese takeaway but he was reported to police when he was seen getting into a car and driving.
Symbol of law and justice in the empty courtroom, law and justice concept.Symbol of law and justice in the empty courtroom, law and justice concept.
Symbol of law and justice in the empty courtroom, law and justice concept.

Ian Moates, whose address was given as Westland Road, Portadown, was fined £250 last Wednesday at Craigavon Magistrates Court for driving with excess alcohol in his breath.

He was also banned for 12 months and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that on January 20 this year at 11.15pm police received a report of a drunken driver at a Chinese takeaway on the Brownstown Road in Portadown.

There was a strong smell of intoxicating liquor from him and he was seen getting into a car and driving.

Police went to the address of the last registered owner of the vehicle and spoke to Moates.

They saw a Chinese meal in the kitchen and he said he had one beer at 2pm that afternoon.

At Lurgan custody suite two breath samples were given which gave readings of 96 and 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

In his first interview Moates said he had only consumed one bottle of beer.

But in a second interview he admitted taking three four tins of beer before having three or four more in the evening and going to get a takeaway.

Mr Richard Monteith, representing the defendant, said his client had sold the car subsequent to this offence.

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