‘Foolish decision’ leads to ban

John Gallagher, Thornleigh, Lurgan, was fined £200, ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy and banned for 16 months for driving with excess alcohol in his breath on November 8 this year.

The court heard that just before midnight police saw a car being driven from a car park in Edward Street and they followed it into Thornleigh.

They spoke to Gallagher who failed the roadside breath test and he said: “I only had two pints of Beamish but do what you have to do.”

An evidential test gave a reading of 68.

A barrister representing the defendant said that on the day in question Gallagher had been at a grandchild’s christening in Belfast.

He added that when he had come home he went to sleep for a couple of hours before going to the bar. There he had a couple of pints before taking the foolish decision to drive back to the Shankill estate, added the barrister.