A 66-year-old man from Enniskillen has been banned from driving for 15 months after crashing his car while over the legal alcohol limit.

Gerald McNulty of Gardrum Road was sentenced at Enniskillen Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

He had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of drink-driving earlier this year.

A prosecutor told the court how, on Thursday, 18 July, at around 1.20 am, police on the Holywell Road in Belcoo came upon a "vehicle on its side, in the middle of the road."

Police observed McNulty exiting the vehicle through the driver's side door.

Officers carried out a preliminary breath test, which returned a reading of 84 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

McNulty admitted to drink-driving and told police that he had been "drinking in Blacklion on my way home." He was arrested and taken to Strabane Custody Suite.

Barrister Stefan Rafferty said that McNulty deserved credit for "pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity," and added that his first appearance in court for the offence was just a week ago.

"In his interview, he accepted full responsibility for this offence," Mr. Rafferty said. "He made the foolish decision to drive."

"He instructs that, earlier that evening, he had been doing an errand for his mother. He had gone to Blacklion, where he intended to have a drink, but then had more than that, making the foolish decision to drive home thereafter."

Mr. Rafferty continued: "This was a very rural part of Fermanagh. It happened very early in the morning, and there were no pedestrians around."

The barrister added that during the incident, McNulty had "clipped a grass verge," which had "caused (his vehicle) to tumble over."

However, the barrister said that only minor damage had been caused and the vehicle had "retained its road-worthiness."

District Judge Alana McSorley said that the high breathalyser reading was an "aggravating feature" of the case, but added that there were "thankfully, no injured parties."

The judge said that McNulty's early plea of guilty was also a mitigating factor.

Judge McSorley imposed a 15-month driving disqualification, in addition to a £300 fine and a £15 offender levy.