Drink-driving pensioner was observed swerving across A5 road

A 68-YEAR-OLD woman has been banned for a year after being caught on the A5 road nearly twice over the drink-driving limit.

Linda McIntrye, of Melmount Road, Victoria Bridge, was disqualified from driving at Strabane Magistrates Court.

The court heard that, at 9pm on February 24, police on the A5 Melmount Road observed a white Nissan driving slowly and swerving across the road, heading towards Victoria Bridge.

Officers activated their lights before the car turned in and parked in a driveway on the Melmount Road. The officers parked at the bottom of the driveway and confronted the woman as she left the car, noting a smell of alcohol.

McIntyre was subjected to a roadside breathalyser test, which she failed. She was then brought to custody where she provided a urine sample of 207 milligrams in 100ml of alcohol, 100 milligrams over the legal limit. Defence solicitor, John Fahy, told the court the elderly lady had no previous record and asked for leniency, due to having family dependent on her licence.

District judge Alana McSorley fined McIntyre £300 and disqualified the woman from driving for 12 months.