A 53-year-old man faces a combined £550 fine and an 18 month driving ban for a number of motoring offences following a recent sitting of Fermanagh Magistrates Court.

Resident Magistrate Bonita Boyd heard how at approximately 4.50pm on the 22nd October, police were called to the scene of a minor two vehicle road traffic collision in Enniskillen.

The Court was told that the defendant, Gerard Williams from Whitehill, Balliamallard was driving on the Tempo Road, Garvary, and that he pulled up behind the third party at speed with the intention of overtaking but had to pull back in and hit the car causing it to spin. The injured parties were brought to hospital.

Williams failed a breath test and later a blood test showed 156 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. He faced charges of careless driving and drink driving.

Defending, Sean McHugh asked for maximum credit in relation to his client's early pleas of guilty.

The night before, he submitted, Williams had been socialising with friends into the early hours of the morning and a large amount of alcohol had been consumed. At the time of the incident, almost 5pm the following Sunday afternoon, he thought he was fit to drive a car but accepted his guilt in relation to the offence.

With regards to the careless driving charge, he said his client did initially want to contest the charge due to the fact that he had been following the vehicle in front from some time and believed it to be driving in an erratic manner giving conflicting signals.

However, as he had been convicted of drink driving he was not prepared to contest the other charge before the court. He said Williams had fully co-operated with all concerned.

He said he was a 53-year-old man who suffered from poor health including a bad back and depression.

For careless driving, Ms Boyd imposed a £200 fine. For drink driving he imposed a £350 fine and an 18-month disqualification.