Blew 83mg at station.. HELP!!

Convicted Driver Insurance

Gutted123NI

Member
Hey

Im completely gutted that i made the biggest mistake of my life at the weekend. I blew 83mg after being pulled over about 1/2 mile from my house. The police woman was very nice and told me that i would get a 12 month ban with it reduced to 9 months because she was writing the best statement she could and she also said that as the police sargarent wrote SORRY on my charge sheet will go in my favour. I havent ate or slept and i feel really guilty. Reading stories on here people have been banned for longer than the 12 months with my type of reading. Though one person said that Northern Ireland is more gentle on the lenght of the ban than the main land. Is this true? I need my license but as i done wrong im not going to start trying to make up stories, i deserve my ban. 9 months would be doable.. Please Please help me.. Also if anyone from N Ireland can give me advice i would be greatly appricated..

Thanks
 
It's irrelevant what the police put in their statement...you should get 12 mths reduced to 9 if you plead guilty (with a solicitor) as it's your 1st offence and you didn't crash or anything...I don't know if the reading is high enough to be classed as a "High Risk Offender", I think you won't but your solicitor will advise you...you still have the whole rigmarole of doing the theory test and resitting the practical test...good luck
 
Generally, drink driving convictions in Northern Ireland attract a 12 month ban, unless the reading is higher than yours. As Strontium 90 says, it would be reduced to 9 months by doing a Drink Drive Rehabilitation Course. In England it tends to be graduated according to how far over the limit you are, but we do not normally have to resit our test so it is swings and roundabouts! Your reading of 83 is below the threshold for having to undertake a medical. up to 87 is OK, 88 or higher means a medical, both here and in Northern Ireland.
 
Thanks guys.. The police woman told me not to get a solicitor because theres nothing they can do and I will be out more money..

Have spoke to a few solicitors and have got mixed replies, the ones that i know through family said no point in paying anyone because first offence will be 12months reduced to 9.. Other solicitors have told me that the reading could mean a longer ban, so hire them for £250 and they will try to get it reduced to 12 months.. So confused.. Court is soon and I dont know what to do..
 
I don't know which court you will appear at Gutted123, probably doesn't make a difference, but when I appeared at Downpatrick (and I have a sister a solicitor) was advised that the magistrate was more severe on people who represented themselves as having a solicitor showed they have more respect for his (the Magistrate) Court...

I would look around for a solicitor and bargain with them (another solicitor will do it for less etc.), cos I know solicitors have been hit by the recession just as much as everyone else and need trade so don't be a cash cow for them..
 
I would save your money to go towards the fine (and the course!)
No company run courses in Northern Ireland. I am not at work at present, but a quick look at an upcoming course of 15 shows all except 2 getting a 12 month ban. One of those is a second conviction so 36 months is mandatory. The other blew 74 and got 13 months, but there may have been aggravating circumstances.
There is even one person who blew 99 and still got a 12 month ban, so I am will the Police and your family legal connections on this.
Look smart, suitably contrite and ask to be able to do the Rehabilitation Course, they sometimes forget to offer it and if it is not agreed at court on the day, it cannot be agreed afterwards. (Although you can still chose to not do it, it is optional..... but gets you 3 months off a 12 month ban!)
 
strontium90 -- ill be going to Craigavon court.. Can i ask what reading you blew and what ban you got?

Thanks in advance
 
I'm afraid I'm no help to you gutted123...I was well blocked and knew I was snookered, so decided as I was well over anyway, there was no point in giving them a sample at the station...wasn't offered a breath test

However, it was extremely costly as refusing to give a sample meant I was a "High Risk Offender" and I've only got my provisional back after a medical and I have to do an "Extended" (read more expensive) driving test....

I should add it was my 2nd offence in 10yrs and I needed a solicitor to avoid a suspended sentence...

While I agree with Price that a solicitor isn't technically necessary, in NI things are different and certain magistrates are more lenient etc...I would get a solicitor if I were you..I've never seen anyone represent themselves for DD and (unfortunately) I've attended a lot of courts...
 
price1367 said:
I would save your money to go towards the fine (and the course!)
No company run courses in Northern Ireland. I am not at work at present, but a quick look at an upcoming course of 15 shows all except 2 getting a 12 month ban. One of
Click to expand...


Sorry, that should have read: "MY company run courses in Northern Ireland, don't worry, the reduction IS available there.....
 
Forgot to say gutted123, my ban was 3 yrs and I think I got off light considering...I have learnt my lesson in that I have stopped drinking completely...
You will get a 12mth ban reduced to 9mths...

I had a mate who got done (back in the '90s) and he didn't even bother going to the court, no solicitor nada....they banned him 5yrs in his absence (it should have been 12mths)..think things have changed since then as a five year ban is unheard of...

Good luck...it's not the end of the world and you get used to having no license....don't drive yourself to the court however....
 
Cheers everybody. I have decided that I will hire a solicitor, going to meet with him tomorrow and go through everything. See if I can do anything like character references or something just so the judge will definitely consider the 9 month ban with course. Also have lost my paper part of the license so I hope I can get a new one before court.

thanks again il post back after court with what happens, maybe someone will be in my shoes and need abit of friendly advice..
 
Hi Gutted,

I agree with the comments posted by Strontium and Price.

I have two DD convictions and a driving whilst disqualified under my belt and I dont want to receive any further !!

I'm also from NI (originally Lurgan but live in Belfast). My first DD conviction; I was stopped in 2004 on the M1 at Lisburn and blew 53 at the station. I got a 12 month ban and was allowed to attend the DD Course which was unfortunately in Armagh as the courses in Belfast were full.

Anyway, I would recommend a Solicitor for a first offence. Make sure you emphasize any extenuating circumstances that led you to drink and drive that night, your financial situation will be worse with the ban, how remorseful you are, how humiliated you feel etc.........

Am sure you are aware it will be a minimum 12 month ban and I personally think it depends on the Magistrate and what type of mood he /she is in as to what type of ban and fine they will impose. Expect the worse and anything less than that will be a 'good result'.
 
Hi Andy, basically there is no reason why I done it.. Just thought that I would be ok. I had one pint and three vodkas and still managed to blow 83mg, don't even know how this is possible.. Iv been driving for 7 years, from iv was 17 and it feels like I'm loosing my arm.. The fine and court costs don't bother me as much as the ban. I can't wait to go to court and find out what's happening, whatever happens the feeling of t knowing will be gone. The police woman that arrested me has even contacted me to see I was ok and has assured me that she will write a really good statement, saying how remorseful I was and how I admitted it ASAP and done everything they asked. She even came into my house when I got home and spoke to me for abit to tell me it's not the end of the world and I haven't hurt anyone. Just hope I get the ban for 9months and I really won't ever do it again, it isn't worth it at all. Do any of you know if NI courts order an extended retest for everyone or just the normal test?
 
Hi Gutted, I think it depends on what you are charged with if you have to sit an extended test.

My first conviction I had to do an extended test but a mix-up with the DVA meant I only completed a normal test. My second conviction I only have to do an ordinary test, I confirmed this today with Coleraine.

It will say on the Court papers you receive after the ban as to what test is required along with the ban.

Also say to the Solicitor you would like to try to keep you name out of the Portadown Times / Lurgan Mail - he might recommend attending Court later as most of the journalists, if any, will probably be away by lunchtime.

Try not to worry - I know its a stressful time waiting to go to Court.
 
Andy, that was another problem, keeping it out of the papers. Heard you can pay the paper to keep it out. Don't know if this is true.. Iv been charged with DR10 driving with excess alcohol. I'm so stressed out with, this forum is the only thing keeping me sane lol
 
Gutted, have a chat with the Solicitor and ask what he recommends. I was lucky in my 3 court appearances that it was not mentioned but in Craigavon it just depends on what is happening with other court cases on the day. The papers don't seem to be as interested now - only if you had caused an accident or taken the car without permission or some other angle other than you were stopped and breathalysed and failed.

It is interesting reading other peoples experiences on this forum. Did you get a Court date yet.
 
Yeah, it's 16 April.. 3 weeks today.. Sooner the better so then I can focus on working towards my license again, will I have to wait until my full ban is complete before starting driving lessons or can I start my lessons and pass my theory when I receive my provisional? Read on here that you can apply for your provisional 8 weeks before the end of the ban
 
Gutted123...the court, if it's the 1st one, will involve you standing before the Magistrate (you have to be there) and it will be adjourned, probably for two weeks...this will go on a couple more times before it is actually heard...

When you loose the license make sure you bring it as it has to be surrendered on the day...apply now for the counterpart and you can surrender after the verdict..

In NI you can't even apply for the license until the ban is finished...then allow at least a couple of months as Coleraine are diabolically slow....then you get your provisional...

Once you have your provisional, you can book the theory (you need your driver no from the license) and when you get your pass certificate from this you can apply for the driving test (normal 40min one)...

I would advise lessons as the examiners are more stringent if you have a DD conviction (they're not supposed to be but chances are you will get some holy joe) so you need to be better than the average learner..

Even at it's fastest it will take at least 4mths from your ban being over...I'm waiting considerably longer..
 
Andycabs from this forum said he applied before his ban finished but they don't begin to process it until the ban is over...hopefully that will change now that Coleraine is closing...
 
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