Gabriel Keaney (37) of Glenasheevar Road, Knockarevan appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to drink driving.

At approximately 9.40pm on February 27 police were carrying out a checkpoint on Garrison Main Street, when they saw a dark Skoda car driving approach, driving on to the Gurteen Road. Officers followed the car, which they said was being driven in an overtly cautious manner, and watched it do a u-turn at Melvin Park.

The officers stopped the car on the Lattone Road and spoke to the driver, Keaney. They noted his speech was slurred and could detect a smell of alcohol on his breath. 

When he failed a preliminary breath test Keaney was arrested, returning an evidential reading of 73 microgams of alcohol per 100ml of breath. 

Defence solicitor Reggie Ferguson said Keaney lived in a rural area and on the night in question, due to inclement weather, he had decided to drive a quarter-of-a-mile to a bar, believing afterwards that he was OK to drive home. 

He said Keaney had underestimated how much he’d had to drink, adding there was nothing dangerous about his driving and that he cooperated fully with police once stopped. 

Mr Ferguson said Keaney had a partner and two children, again stated they lived in a very rural area, and told the court due to his conviction for drink driving Keaney would lose his job as an agricultural labourer. 

District Judge Liam McStay said Keaney had been twice the legal limit, so it was not the case that he’d had one or two drinks and misjudged himself. He added Keaney’s family commitments and guilty plea were in his favour, however. 

Judge McStay disqualified Keaney from driving for 12 months, until retested, and certified him for the drink driving course which, if successfully completed, will reduce his driving ban to nine months.