Enniskillen Court House, RMGFH04
A FATHER, who was more than three times over the legal limit, has avoided jail after being convicted of drink driving for a fourth time.
At around 5.30 in the afternoon on June 17 past, police received a report of a suspected drink driver on the Loughshore Road. The officers then located the car approximately 10 miles from Enniskillen, heading in the direction of Belleek. It was driving erratically, tailgating another car, and crossing over the central white line.
Police signalled for the car to stop, and when they spoke to the driver, Nigel Gamble (44) of Urney Road, Clady, they noticed he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. Gamble failed a preliminary breath test, and when arrested he returned an evidential reading of 110 micrograms per 100ml of breath, 75 micrograms in excess of the legal limit.
Speaking at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday, defence solicitor Sharon McBride said Gamble, who had three previous drink driving conditions, “obviously has an atrocious record for driving offences”, but said the defendant did not accept he had a problem with alcohol.
When District Judge Nigel Broderick pointed this was now Gamble’s fourth drink driving conviction, Ms McBride said his last conviction for the offence dated back to 2006 which was “some time ago.” She added that while the father-of-one was in breach of a suspended sentence, that sentence was due to expire next month and was for an unrelated offence.
The solicitor said Gamble was remorseful, “contrite and accepts it was out of order”, and explained he was currently trying to set up his own business. Ms McBride added Gamble, who previously ran his own business, had suffered two family bereavements which had “caused him to lose his way.”
Asking for leniency from the court, Ms McBride said Gamble was aware of the serious implications of the offence, and had “suffered over the last few weeks knowing the options available to the court.”
Judge Broderick told Gamble there was “every reason you should be going to prison”, but accepted his suspended sentence was for a different offence and was due to expire soon.
For drink driving, Judge Broderick sentenced Gamble to five months in prison, suspended for the maximum of five years, and disqualified him from driving for five years. For not wearing a seat belt, he fined him £100 and disqualified him from driving for three months.
Judge Broderick warned Gamble that if he reoffend again the likelihood was he would be sent to prison.
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