A man has been banned from driving for a year and fined £600 after crashing into railings at a Ballymena apartment block.

Peter Kyle, 39, of Dunclug Park, admitted the offence along with insurance and driving licence offences. Police observed a Volkswagen Golf crashed into railings near a roundabout on Broughshane Road on August 30.

At the time, Kyle had a breath alcohol reading of 60 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

A defence solicitor told the court there was no excuse for Kyle's actions.

In a separate case before the same court, Stephen Hynes, 41, of Gateside Road, Coleraine, was fined £500 and given six penalty points for driving at 97mph in a 70mph zone on the dual carriageway between Ballymena and Antrim town on February 15.

Hynes had been offered a fixed penalty by police but did not take it up in time, leading the case to go to court. A defence solicitor said Hynes was late for a medical appointment and apologised for speeding.

Deputy District Judge Barney McElholm told Hynes he was lucky he did not end up in hospital or put someone else in hospital due to the speed.