Police found open cans of Harp in car

Richard Chestnut, St John’s Terrace, Moira, pleaded guilty to three offences which happened on September 2 last year.

For driving without insurance he was fined £400 and disqualified for six months.

A £300 fine and a concurrent 12 month ban were imposed for driving with excess alcohol in his breath and he was fined £250 for resisting police.

The court heard that a police mobile patrol in the Portadown area saw a vehicle in the Meadow Lane car park and checks showed it did not have valid insurance.

The spoke to the defendant who was driving and he gave them an inaccurate name and details.

There were a number of open cans of Harp lager in the cup holder of the vehicle.

Chestnut said he would not comply with the preliminary breath test and when arrested he told police ‘all right no sweat’.

He also made threat towards officers and when he put his arms up he was put to the ground. He continued to be aggressive and on his way to custody continued to act aggressively.

An evidential breath test gave a reading of 53.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, asked who owned the car and Chestnut said it belonged to a friend.

Judge Kelly told him to give the name of his friend to her clerk so that they could come to court and give her a reason why she should not order forfeiture of the vehicle.

A defence solicitor asked the judge to give his client credit for his plea at the earliest opportunity.