A MAN who drove to Enniskillen Police Station to sign bail after drinking has been disqualified from driving. 

Vladas Arbaciaukas (39) of Tempo Road, Killynure, Enniskillen was charged with failure to provide a specimen of breath while driving which excess alcohol following the incident on January 25. He had originally intended to contest the charge but changed his plea to guilty at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last Wednesday.

The court was told that Arbaciaukas had attended the police station at around 7.20pm, where the inquiry officer noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath and informed the police. Arbaciaukas, who  was also banned from drinking alcohol as part of his bail conditions, failed a preliminary breath test, returning a reading of 64 micrograms per 100ml of breath, and was arrested. Police found car keys for the defendant’s Hyundai, which was parked outside the station, on him during a subsequent search. 

Arbaciaukas was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, however failed to give the police a breath sample for an evidential reading twice. 

Defence barrister Ciaran Roddy said his client had been “extremely foolish” and “nothing short of idiotic” to drive to the station while drinking. He said Arbaciaukas, who has been living in the area for nine years and works in a factory in Enniskillen, had told him his wife had driven most of the way and he had only moved the car a short distance, however Mr Roddy said this still means he was guilty of the offence. 

Mr Roddy said Arbaciaukas was separated and had two young children, whom he had contact with at weekends and on days off, and the loss of his licence would cause him difficulties as his children lived four miles away. He added, however, Arbaciaukas accepted the inevitability and would have to deal with a disqualification. 

District Judge Nigel Broderick said Arbaciaukas had been “extremely foolish” in not supplying a specimen, explaining he now had to give him a harsher penalty as there was no evidence as to how much alcohol was in his system. 

Judge Broderick disqualified Arbaciaukas from driving for 18 months, until retested and fined him £250.