A DRIVER has been warned not to make the same mistake again by a judge after he was convicted of driving with excess alcohol in his breath.

The court heard on September 8, 2020, police on mobile patrol in Enniskillen observed a silver Ford Focus pull out of Quay Lane car park at speed, causing a white van to brake hard to avoid an accident.

Officers followed the car west along Wellington Road to where it stopped on Paget Lane.

The driver – Dean Cochrane (26), of Coleshill Crescent, Enniskillen – identified himself to be the defendant and alcohol could be smelt coming from his breath. A roadside preliminary breath test was carried out, which Cochrane failed.

He was arrested and conveyed to Omagh Custody Suite, where an evidential procedure was completed, with a lower reading of 68mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, and he was subsequently charged.

Cochrane’s solicitor, Gary Black, said Cochrane had cooperated fully with police from the outset and entered a plea at an early stage.

Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes said that it was “quite a high reading” and normally he would be looking at more than a 12-month disqualification.

However, due to the guilty plea at a first opportunity, and the current Covid-19 pandemic, he would only ban Cochrane from driving for a year.

He told Cochrane that if it was not for the pandemic he would be banned from driving for 18 months, so he should count himself as “incredibly lucky” and warned him not to make the same mistake again.

Cochrane was also fined £250 and certified for the drink drivers course.