Ciara Foy, aged 46, from Timakeel Grange, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with driving with excess alcohol in her breath. Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. The court heard that on July 16 this year, police attended a road traffic collision on the Richmount Road, Portadown.
Advertisement Advertisement She was over the limit with a reading of 76 micrograms of alcohol to 100 millilitres of breath. Her solicitor Mr Richard Monteith said she had not intended to drive. "She is a cat breeder and has a number of cats.
One of the elderly cats was seriously ill so she got an emergency appointment at the vets in Portadown. He revealed the defendant had tried to contact friends and acquaintances rather than drive herself but unfortunately there was no other option so she took a risk. "She was then on the Richmount Road which is a difficult road and one she normally avoids because of the bends on it and noted there were recently a number of young boy racers on it.
Advertisement Advertisement "Unfortunately she encountered someone who went to her side of the road. She entered a verge and encountered with a telegraph pole,” said Mr Monteith. “Thankfully, her injuries were comparatively modest.
The airbags caused her more harm possibly than anything else. She had to be pulled out of the car by a local who had witnessed the accident and she is very grateful for the assistance he gave her. "Then the police came and she cooperated with them as she is here today,” said Mr Monteith, who added that his client had never been in court before and had been driving since she was aged 17.
"She is deeply embarrassed by her appearance here today,” he said. Advertisement Advertisement District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: "You made a decision to drive the vehicle with alcohol on board. I appreciate why you did it but, simply put, you shouldn’t have, no matter what was ailing the pet.
"There must have been some other way to get the pet to the vet,” said the district judge. He banned the defendant from driving for 12 months and fined her £100 plus the offender levy of £100. Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
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