A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs after police encountered his vehicle moving dangerously slowly on the M1 near Lurgan. Michael Brown, of Deans Grange, Armagh, admitted the offence, along with possession of the Class B drug ketamine, when he appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

Prosecutors said that on the evening of January 6, officers travelling between Moira and Lurgan saw a Volkswagen Golf being driven at approximately 5mph in lane one, with a queue of traffic building behind it. The car stopped in the live lane as police pulled alongside, leading them to investigate.

When spoken to, Brown seemed confused and unaware of his location, the court heard. After officers removed him from the vehicle, he swayed and staggered, staring into the sky. A white substance was visible around his nostril, but he denied taking drugs; a preliminary breath test recorded no alcohol.

At Lurgan custody suite, police found a bag of white powder in his sock. Brown admitted it was ketamine and said he had taken the substance after finishing work that day.

Solicitor Harry McCourt told the court his client had been struggling with addiction. Brown’s family paid for private rehabilitation in Spain last November, which he completed, but he later relapsed. He is now engaging with probation and community addiction services, though he is not entirely drug‑free, Mr McCourt said.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan warned that Brown had put himself and other road users at grave risk of serious injury or worse. He noted that a previous sentencing at Lisburn had been deferred to monitor progress with probation, and he took the same approach in this case.

The judge said Brown was in a dangerous position and that his family, particularly his father, was deeply worried. He was told he needed to address his addiction and heed his family’s concerns. Sentencing was adjourned until November 18 at Craigavon, while the earlier case returns to Lisburn on November 12.