Enniskillen Magistrates Court
A 34-year-old man, who was found asleep in his van in the middle of the road while over twice the legal drink drive limit, has been banned from driving.
Enniskillen Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that at 12.10am on August 29th, police received a report that a Ford Transit van was parked in the middle of Nutfield Road in Lisnaskea and straddling the white line. Officers attended the scene and found Gary Greene asleep behind the wheel with the van’s headlights on, the keys in the ignition and there was vomit on the passenger seat. Greene was unresponsive and had to be woken by police and was very confused.
Police carried out a breath sample and Greene returned a evidential reading of 78 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath – over twice the legal limit.
Greene, a father-of-two from Grogey Road in Brookeborough who works as a joiner, was charged with driving with excess alcohol.
District Judge Nigel Broderick heard that Greene had earlier that day been to enquire about a job before going to the pub.
“He had no intention to drive and had asked his brother to lift him. When his brother didn’t turn up, he did try to get a taxi and made the foolish decision to drive home. There is absolutely no excuse and he cannot fathom why he tried to drive. He had travelled two miles when police came upon him,” defence solicitor Grainne Mulligan told the court.
Judge Broderick noted the “very high reading”, adding: “You were a danger to yourself and the public. It’s fortunate that the police came upon you when they did.”
Greene was fined £300, disqualified for 16 months until retested and certified for the drink driving course.
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