A Coleraine man has been sentenced to 3 months in prison after drink driving whilst on a driving ban.
Darren Kennedy, 33, from Ballycastle Road in Coleraine, was charged on 12 October 2020 in North Antrim Magistrates’ Court, Ballymena, of driving when disqualified, driving with excess alcohol and driving without insurance. He pleaded guilty to all three accounts.
Kennedy came to the attention of a police patrol in Coleraine town at 3am on 26 July 2020 for errat- ic driving.
The police followed his car and pulled Kennedy over. The officers requested he undergo a breath test at the scene.
At the time of the offence Kennedy had a reading of 46mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath; the legal limit is 35mg. He was arrested and taken to Coleraine Police Station.
Police found that Kennedy has a history of motoring offences and was driving with a disqualified licence and no insurance.
District Judge, Peter King, found Kennedy to be guilty on all three accounts and sentenced him to three months in jail while administering a £500 fine and a six year driving ban.
“If banned drivers did not keep themselves off the roads, the only way I can guarantee that this happens is to jail them,” the judge said. “The number one priority of this court is to ensure road users are protected from disqualified drivers.”
Kennedy will have six months to pay his fine and has apologised for his behaviour.
