A Sinn Fein councillor has been fined £200 after being caught behind the wheel of a car while drunk in Newry city centre.
Cathal King, from Cottage Road in the city, was convicted of being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol on his breath when he appeared before Newry Magistrates Court last week.
The 29-year-old, who pleaded guilty, was caught in the driver’s seat on Edward Street last month “after consuming so much alcohol” that he exceeded the limit.
The judge was told King gave a reading of 52 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath — over the 35 micrograms limit.
Very few details were revealed in court.
King was given a £200 fine and 10 penalty points.
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A Sinn Fein spokesperson said the Newry councillor was sorry for what he had done, which the party accepted had damaged his credibility.
“Cathal acknowledges he has made a serious mistake. He apologises, is deeply sorry and made clear that it will never happen again,” they said.
“He has also self-reported to the Local Government Commissioner for Standards.
“Cathal recognises that he will have to work to rebuild and regain the trust and confidence of the people who elected him and his party colleagues.”
King was co-opted onto the council to represent the party in January last year along with Geraldine Kearns before being elected later that year.
At the time, Sinn Fein said it looked forward to working with him as he joined “the strong Sinn Fein team in Newry”.
Around the same time, King was pictured with Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, urging people to join the party and work towards a united Ireland.
A spokesperson for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said: “Matters relating to the conduct of councillors are dealt with by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.”
The ombudsman has been contacted for comment.