A school bus driver who was more than four times over the limit when he was driving a vehicle “filled with school children” has narrowly escaped jail.
Describing the offences by Peter Gray as “appalling” which could have resulted in “catastrophic” consequences, District Judge Mark Hamill told the 43-year-old the “only thing” saving him from a prison sentence was he was undergoing a mental health crisis at the time.
As Gray of Drumadoon Drive, Dundonald admitted two offences of driving with excess alcohol within the space of two months, once on the school bus in March and again in Asda carpark in May, the judge imposed an 18-month probation order along with 200 hours of community service and a five-year driving ban.
A PPS lawyer told the court on Wednesday it was around 4.30pm on 19 March when the Education Board asked police to go to the Ulster Hospital amid reports “a bus driver had been driving while intoxicated”.
The bus was at the hospital, “there were children on board” and when officers spoke to Gray “he appeared intoxicated”.
A blood sample was taken and an analysis gave a reading of 331, more than four times the limit of 80.
Turning to the 11 May incident, the lawyer said police were sent to a report of a collision in a carpark in Dundonald and found Gray in the driver’s seat of a car.
He failed an initial preliminary breath test and an evidential sample gave a reading of 189, more than five times the legal limit of 35.
Before defence counsel Conan Rea began his plea in mitigation, Judge Hamill said the facts were “appalling,” could have resulted in “catastrophic” consequences.
He revealed that according to the pre-sentence report Gray “had thoughts of killing himself and the children.”
Mr Rea told the judge “all of that has to be conceded” adding having consulted with Gray for quite some time, “the factual matrix in this case is very concerning and appalling is probably the best that can be said about it, he accepts all of that”.
Further conceding Gray’s driving career “is effectively over”, the barrister said he had entered guilty pleas at the earlier opportunity, no previous convictions and from reports, was undergoing a mental health crisis.
Passing sentence, Judge Hamill said it was clear Gray was mentally unwell, adding “I do not want to impose custody on someone who is ill but this could have been catastrophic”.
“I’m trying to do something constructive here but this could have been a Crown Court case with a tragic outcome”.