By 
AN Omagh man who was caught drink driving in a car missing a wheel has been banned from the road for 18 months.
On Tuesday, 33-year-old Dara Leonard, of Glenderg Road, appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty to drink driving, careless driving and using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
The offences took place on July 21.
Police were alerted around 2am after another motorist reported a suspected drink driver on the Beltany Road. The caller said they had to swerve to avoid a white Ford Mustang that was driving with one of its wheels missing.
A patrol later found Leonard walking along the road and offered him a lift home.
However, officers soon discovered the abandoned Mustang further along the route, missing a wheel and with documents inside identifying Leonard as the owner and driver.
When breathalysed, Leonard provided a sample showing 97 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – more than twice the legal limit.
He told police he had consumed six cans of beer at home before driving. Defence counsel Joe McCann said his client had made full admissions and entered an early guilty plea.
He told the court that losing his licence would cause Leonard ‘significant difficulty’ due to his caring responsibilities and his job as a lorry driver.
District Judge Ted Magill said he could not impose the minimum penalty given the high alcohol reading. Leonard was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £600.
