John Connors, 47, of Main Street, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, was sentenced at Omagh Magistrates Court to five months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years after pleading guilty to drink-driving, careless driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

Police saw a Ford Transit van being driven at speed along Kevlin Avenue in Omagh on 21 December. Officers followed as the van mounted a kerb towards Coolnagard and then turned sharply into a property at Fairmount Cottages.

When officers spoke to Connors he had slurred speech and glazed eyes. A roadside breath test was failed and a later evidential sample recorded 53 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, which was 18 microgrammes above the legal limit. Checks also showed he was disqualified from driving and had no insurance.

Defence counsel Steffan Rafferty told the court that Connors had been drinking with his partner at her home in Omagh before driving to a shop. Connors made no comment during police interview but later pleaded guilty to all charges.

Connors had been due before the court in January but did not attend because of a family emergency. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was later remanded in custody due to an issue with his bail address. The court heard he had spent almost four months in custody before sentencing.

District Judge Conor Heaney said Connors had shown no regard for other road users. He noted Connors' criminal record included a live suspended sentence imposed at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last year. Connors was jailed for five months and disqualified from driving for a further four years.