A 67-year-old man has been given a suspended prison sentence and a three-year driving ban after admitting a drink-driving offence in Ahoghill that saw him recorded at more than four times the legal limit.

Edward Hardy, of Crosskeys Road near Ahoghill, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday to plead guilty to driving with excess alcohol, failing to provide a preliminary breath test, and insurance and driving licence offences.

The court heard that on April 7 this year, Hardy reversed his daughter’s car into a stationary vehicle in a parking area. When police arrived, he was uncooperative and failed to provide a preliminary breath sample. He was not insured for the car and did not hold a driving licence.

After being taken to a police station, an evidential breath test gave a reading of 144 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, well above the legal limit of 35. He admitted driving when interviewed the following morning. The court was told that in 2017 he had received a four-year ban for a drink-driving conviction.

A defence barrister said Hardy had been at a friend’s wake at the time of the incident. He expressed remorse, had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous, and had not consumed alcohol since the offence. The barrister also highlighted his community involvement with a local GAA club, where he had managed the team and served as chairperson.

District Judge Nigel Broderick noted the high reading and handed down a three-month jail term, suspended for three years, a three-year driving ban, and a fine of £100.