Buncrana woman was close to four times over legal limit

Annika Fullerton, of Riverside, Buncrana, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen, having no licence or insurance.

The charges relate to an incident in the Culmore area of Derry on April 14.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard police received a report of a woman drink driving in Ballynagard Crescent.

They attended and breathalysed the 30-year-old.

A preliminary sample gave a reading of 138 mgs. of alcohol in 100 mls. of breath, almost four times the legal limit.

She failed to give an evidential sample of breath at the police station.

Officers also received information that Fullerton was disqualified from driving in the Republic of Ireland for drink driving.

However, she claimed the disqualification related to an incident six years ago and it took a long time to get to court.

Defence solicitor, Eugene Burns ,told the court on the night in question there was a domestic incident and his client made a ‘very, very rash decision’ to drive the car.

He said Fullerton purchased the car because she believed her disqualification was about to end and she would be able to drive legally.

The solicitor accepted that the reading at the roadside was ‘very high’.

District Judge Barney McElholm fined Fullerton £600 and disqualified her from driving for 16 months.