ENNISKILLEN Magistrates Court has heard a woman claim she had two pints after work which resulted in her being over the twice the legal limit to drive.

Ellen McQuaid (41), of Brown’s Bridge, Newtownbutler was stopped by police within the vicinity of the Clones Road, Newtownbutler on December 10, 2021.

Police were conducting checkpoints as part of an anti-drink driving campaign over Christmas when they stopped McQuaid driving a Volkswagen Tiguan and asked her for her details.

McQuaid failed a preliminary breath test and was taken to Omagh Police Station where she gave an evidential reading of 83mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the limit being 35mg.

Michael Fahy, solicitor for McQuaid, told the court on Monday that his client had not eaten anything since breakfast and after work went to a local bar where she had two pints of lager before being stopped.

When District Judge Steven Keown queried how only two pints put McQuaid over twice the legal limit Mr. Fahy said “everyone is different” in how they metabolise alcohol and no food was a contributing factor.

Mr. Fahy added there was no issue with McQuaid’s driving and she had co-operated fully with police. He said that the impact of losing her driving licence would be “immeasurable” for McQuaid who was a project manager and travelled between building sites for work.

Mr. Fahy accepted the high reading but asked it be mitigated against his client’s early plea and her regret for the incident.

Taking into account the early plea and lack of a previous record Judge Keown banned McQuaid from driving for 12 months and fined her £400.