PSNI smelled alcohol from a Portadown man who was driving his Massey Ferguson tractor near Bleary

John Chambers, aged 68, from Manse Road, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday charged with drink driving on his Massey Ferguson tractor on March 25 this year.

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A Prosecutor told the court that at around 6.55pm on March 25 this year police stopped a Massey Ferguson tractor on the Manse Road in Portadown. “Police observed the tractor had no light and was moving from side to side on the Plantation Road in Bleary.”

When stopped, police smelled alcohol on the defendant’s breath plus he was slurring his speech. He failed a preliminary breath test. Later in custody he blew a lower reading of 59 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

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Chambers’ solicitor said it was only a month since this occurred. “The man fully admits he had drink on him and he shouldn’t have,” she said.

"He had been working on the farm and he was making his way home from another farm,” she explained adding, “As you can see from the reference this man has many many issues going on at the minute.

"No way does this excuse what happened. All he can do is say he is very sorry to the court.”

District Judge Francis Rafferty disqualified Chambers from driving for three years and fined him £350 plus the Offender Levy. He gave him 12 weeks to pay.