Bessbrook man joined son and friends for drink disqualified.
Court hears how Bessbrook man joined son and friend in bar for a pint
MAKING the erroneous decision to join his son and friends for a pint in a local bar after being called out to lift them has resulted in a Bessbrook man receiving a period of disqualification from driving during a sitting of Newry Magistrates. Facing a single charge of driving with excess alcohol in his breathe was Boyce Napier (56) of The Gardens Bessbrook.
The court initially heard how at 1.20 am on October 3 of this year police were conducting a mobile checkpoint within the vicinity of the Camlough Road when a white transit van passed through the checkpoint and failed to stop for several meters.
When the van did come to a stop the attention of officers was brought to the driver who identified himself as the defendant Napier. When speaking to Napier officers could detect the smell of alcohol, with the 57 year old providing a reading of 59 milligrams of alcohol in his breathe when submitting to a preliminary breathe test before providing a lower evidential reading in custody of 48 milligrams.
Addressing the court a defence solicitor explained how Napier's detection on the morning of October 3 had been as a result of his opting to share a drink with his son and his friends after being requested to lift them from one of the local bars. "He is a 56 year old man with no previous record and it is a plea at his earliest opportunity. He got a phone call to go out and collect his son and friends who were in one of the local bars.
He went in and had two pints with the group and was asked to bring them home. they were making a racket in the backseat and this distracted him and this is why he did not realise there was a vehicle checkpoint.
Disposing of the case District Judge O'Hare told Napier that a man of his age should not be before the court for this type of offence as given his age he should know he should not be driving a car whilst under the influence of alcohol. Disposing of the case Judge O'Hare would implement impose upon Napier the customary 12 month disqualification from driving whilst imposing a fine of £250 affording him with 10 weeks to pay.