Paul Russell (50) of Drumbawn, Drumclay pleaded guilty to drunk driving, failing to provide a specimen of breath, and disorderly behaviour at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last Wednesday. 

The charges related to December 13, when at approximately 2.50am Russell was stopped driving a Renault Clio on the Cornagrade Road. Police had stopped the car after noticed it had been crossing the central white line of the road, and when they spoke to Russell the noticed a smell of alcohol. 

When the officers asked Russell, who’d said he’d been at a friend’s house for a few drinks, to get out of the car he became agitated, and when they asked him his name he said it was Jack Daniels. He also called one of the officers “dick”. 

Russell became agitated when police searched him, and when they asked him if he had any weapons on his person he told them he had a gun “shoved up his arse.” The defendant, who didn’t have a weapon on him, had to be retrained when being arrested. 

At the police station Russell, who had 31 previous convictions, refused to give a breath sample for testing. 

Defence barrister Stefan Rafferty said Russell had admitted the offences at the earliest opportunity, having previously indicated his guilty plea, and said he’d been subject to an interim driving disqualification since January 10th. 

Mr Rafferty said Russell was very remorseful and accepted his behaviour on the night was unacceptable. He said Russell had called to the police station the following day to apologise, and while the arresting officers weren’t there, he was able to say sorry to the custody officer. 

The barrister added Russell, who moved to Fermanagh some years ago to assist his daughter who was at college here, had one similar previous conviction, but it dated to 13 years ago. 

District Judge Nigel Broderick said the previous conviction meant he had to impose a longer driving disqualification but would limit it to 16 months. Judge Broderick also fined Russell a total of £300.