A MAGUIRESBRIDGE man has been disqualified for drink driving after being found asleep in his car just yards from a police station.
Aaron Tubman (20) of Boyhill Park appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday where he entered a last-minute guilty plea to drink driving.
On May 29, police received a report a number of men were asleep in a Mitsubishi Trojan by the 24 hour shop on Queen Street in Enniskillen. Officers attended the
vehicle, where they found three men sleeping, including Tubman n the driver’s seat.
The officers opened the car door, took the keys out, and spoke with Tubman, noting his eye were glazed and his breath smelled of alcohol. They also viewed CCTV from the shop, which showed the vehicle being driven into the car park.
Tubman was arrested and brought to nearby Enniskillen Police Station, where he returned an evidential reading of 47 micrograms per 100ml of breath.
The case had been listed for contest on Monday, however Tubman changed his plea to guilty. District Judge Nigel Broderick asked why Tubman had taken so long to enter a guilty plea.
Defence barrister Stephen Fitzpatrick said CCTV footage had only been provided to the defence that day and there had been “issues” they wished to explore. Judge Broderick said Tubman “knew about what happened” without the CCTV.
Mr Fitzpatrick pointed out Tubman’s breath reading was “relatively low” and said the defendant relied on his licence for his job on the family farm in Lisbellaw, and on other farms where he was contracted for driving jobs.
The barrister added Tubman had made a foolish decision to drive on the evening in question, having had a couple of drinks with friends combined with a lack of food and lack of sleep.
Judge Broderick said Tubman’s was a classic case of if he’d entered an earlier plea he would’ve been given more credit by the court. He disqualified the defendant from driving for 14 months, and fined him £300. Judge Broderick certified Tubman for the drink driving course, which if completed will reduce his driving ban by a quarter.
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