A driver who was three times over the legal limit when stopped by police was “well beyond the stage of having any control of his vehicle”, a judge has said.

It was heard at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday that at around 4.40am on July 10, police received a report of drink driving.

They attended an area around the Irvinestown Road, Irvinestown, where they stopped a car.

They spoke with the driver – Steven Smith (31), of Baragh Road, Ballinamallard – whose eyes were glazed and who appeared intoxicated.

He failed a preliminary breath test and was taken into custody, where Smith gave an evidential reading of 126mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

Smith’s solicitor, Conor Heaney, told the court that on the Saturday evening, Smith had been socialising in Ballinamallard, where he had had lived for the past five years, as he was due to move out of the jurisdiction with his partner and children.

He had planned to catch an early ferry from Belfast to England on Sunday morning, and had got up early to go to the docks.

Mr. Heaney said Smith had lived in Northern Ireland for five years and had found it difficult to settle and that this led to an increased alcohol intake, but he was going to take immediate steps to address this when he moved back to England.

He added that Smith was “extremely remorseful” for his behaviour, accepted the reading was very high, and there was a clear and obvious issue with alcohol which the defendant will address.

Deputy District Judge John Rea gave Smith credit for his guilty plea and clear record, but said the defendant’s high reading showed he was “well beyond the stage of having any control of his vehicle”, and created a serious risk to road users.

Smith was disqualified from driving for 18 months, and fined £600.