A SLIGO woman who crashed into a fence in Enniskillen last month was under the influence of medication and alcohol, a court has heard. 

Blathnaid Lee (22) of Dringahan, Knocknarea, Sligo appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with drink driving. 

She had been arrested after police were called to the scene of a single vehicle collision on the Sligo Road, Enniskillen on April 8 at approximately 5.45am. When they arrived they found a silver Volkswagen Polo car crashed into a field that had been driven by Lee, who they noted had slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet. 

Lee failed a preliminary breath test and when arrested and cautioned said “I’m sorry.” When taken to Enniskillen Magistrates Court she returned a reading of 60 micrograms or alcohol per 100ml of breath. 

Defence solicitor Donal Fee said Lee, who had no previous convictions, was full of remorse over the incident. He explained the former-student had health difficulties, and had had to give up her college course because of these difficulties. Mr Fee said that on April 8, Lee had been taking medication for these health difficulties, had consumed alcohol and was in a “bad mental state.”

Mr Fee added the owner of the field had already been compensated for the cost of his fence, and said Lee, who lives with her parents and is in receipt of disability payment, had entered a guilty at the earliest opportunity. 

District Judge Nigel Broderick said while he would give Lee credit for her early plea and clear record, he still had to impose a disqualification on her. He banned Lee from driving for 12 months, until retested, and fined her £285, ordering the cash bail Lee had lodged when arrested to be used to pay the fine.