Birthday ban

A YOUNG labourer from Northern Ireland celebrated his 21st birthday on Thursday with a ban and a fine after being caught drink driving last month.

Rory Barnes, of 218 Slaughtmanus, Londonderry, appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court where he admitted being more than four times the new drink driving limit.

Barnes was stopped on 1 March by police on Lerwick’s Commercial Street after he knocked over three bollards in the town while driving his car.

The court heard that he had been drinking in the town and did not want to pay the taxi fare to his digs in Aith, 20 miles away.

Honorary sheriff Arnold Duncan fined Barnes £560 and banned him from driving for 18 months, which he can reduce by four and a half months if he completes his drink driving course.