Ship's captain had been drinking, court told

The captain of a ship which collided with a passenger ferry causing thousands of pounds worth of damage had drunk up to seven bottles of beer, a court in the North heard today.

Miroslaw Pozniak (aged 55) admitted crashing his cargo boat while three times over the alcohol limit but said it was because of news of his wife's ill health, his defence barrister at Downpatrick Crown Court said.