Former policeman more than three times drink limit after trip to Tesco later told PSNI officers ‘incident didn’t matter now as he was at home’

A FORMER police officer who was more than three times the drink-drive limit after going to Tesco at 9 in the morning told the PSNI, according to a prosecution lawyer, that “the incident didn’t matter now as he was at home”.

A court also heard that James Alexander Auld (69), from Ballymoney, had a character reference provided to the court by North Antrim Assemblyman Mervyn Storey.

The court heard the defendant was at Tesco in the town on the morning of June 30 this year.

A prosecutor told Coleraine Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, police were called at 8.50am by shop staff who had concerns that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol and had been driving.

A staff member was unsuccessful in attempting to stop the defendant leaving in his vehicle. Police went to the defendant’s home after 9.25am.

The defendant initially told police a friend had given him a lift and told officers, a prosecutor explained to the court, “the incident didn’t matter now as he was at home”.

The conversation was recorded on bodyworn footage and after failing a preliminary breath test he was arrested and at Coleraine Police Station he had an alcohol in breath reading of 110 – the legal limit is 35.

Police watched CCTV at Tesco which showed the defendant arriving, leaving the store, entering the vehicle, speaking with a member of staff and then driving away.

During interview, the court heard, the defendant, admitted driving but denied he had consumed alcohol prior to driving and said he had taken alcohol after he arrived home before police came to his address.

The court heard the defendant had now pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in his breath.

The court was told he had a previous drink driving offence in 2006.

A defence lawyer said at the time of the June offence the defendant was “feeling particularly low due to the covid lockdown” and was using alcohol as a “crutch”.

The court heard the defendant had served three years in the army and had been stationed in West Germany and then 28 years in the RUC and after he suffered a bad injury during a riot in Castlederg he then worked for Royal Mail for 16 years and retired two years ago.

The lawyer said in the character reference Mr Storey said he knew the defendant for 20 years and said he was a “friendly, helpful, man and as a neighbour he couldn’t ask for anyone better”.

The lawyer said the defendant had expressed “great regret and remorse” for his actions,

District Judge Peter King said he had read Mr Storey’s reference which was “very helpful” but he said it was a high reading beyond three times the limit and banned the defendant from driving for 20 months and fined him £300.