A man who was over three times the legal limit to drive took his mother’s car without permission before driving into another car and then driving away, a court has heard.

On February 26, at around 4.15pm, police received a report of a hit and run road traffic collision involving an intoxicated driver in Donagh.

The injured party told police a car had struck their parked car before driving off.
Police located the car at Royal Oak Road, Lisnaskea and spoke to Daniel Maguire (23), of Mill Race Field, Lisnaskea. He was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred.

Arrested

Maguire was arrested and taken to Omagh Police Station, where he gave an evidential reading of 108mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The next day, Maguire was further arrested for aggravated taking and driving away, as he took his mother’s car without permission.

His solicitor, Myles McManus, described the incident as “very unedifying” and accepted it was an extremely high reading for a person drinking in the afternoon, and was detected by a member of the public.

He said Maguire was very embarrassed to be appearing in court, and the best that could be said is that he met the matter head-on, pleading guilty at an early opportunity.

Mr. McManus said his client took a chance to take the car but should not have been next to or near the car, with the amount of alcohol he had consumed.

Convicting Maguire of having no insurance, failing to remain, failing to stop at a damage-only accident, aggravated taking away and causing damage to a vehicle, driving with excess alcohol in breath, and aggravated vehicle taking causing damage, Deputy District Judge Phillip Mateer handed down a five-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with a two-year driving ban, £600 in fines and an order for £250 in compensation.

He also told Maguire that until he corrected his attitude toward alcohol and motor use, it was not safe for him to drive.