Tom Carroll, 73, whose address was given as Ashbourne Park, appeared before Lisburn Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 20, where he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in his breath. The court heard that on Sunday, April 28, 2024 just before 3pm, the police received a report of a male consuming a bottle of alcohol outside a Winemark on the Moss Road in Lisburn. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Checks showed the defendant to be the last registered owner of the vehicle. The police attended the defendant’s home, and noted the same vehicle in the driveway. The defendant confirmed he had been driving the vehicle a short time earlier.
The defendant provided a breath sample, which he failed. He was brought to the custody suite and another test was carried out, with a lower reading of 42 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. Defence told the court: “He is a 73-year-old man with a completely clear record.
"He has been driving for 50 years. This is a aberration. Advertisement Advertisement "He accepts he was over the limit and he knows the consequences of accepting that.
"He knows he shouldn’t have consumed alcohol. It is a great shock to him that for the next year he wouldn’t be able to drive.” Deputy District Judge Paul Copeland disqualified the .
