Co Armagh man, who was involved in a road traffic crash, didn't have insurance, Craigavon court hears

Jack McNeill, aged 25, from Mahon Avenue, Portadown, pleaded guilty via his solicitor at Craigavon Magistrates Court to careless driving and having no vehicle insurance.

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The court heard that on June 3 last year, police were informed of a road traffic collision at the junction of Craigwell Avenue and Charles Street, Portadown. Police were told by one of the injured parties that the defendant did not have insurance.

Police later spoke to the defendant who admitted he was driving the Seat Altea which was involved in the collision without insurance.

McNeill’s solicitor Mr John McCamley said his client had “a momentary lapse in concentration”, causing the collision.

He pointed out that immediately after the crash McNeill, who has three points on his licence, exited his car to see if the other person “was ok and forwarded his address and telephone number”.

The solicitor said: “He knows he shouldn’t have been driving without insurance. He knows that he has to keep an eye on the road when he is driving. In fairness he should know more than anyone else because he would have had to do the extended driving test to get his licence back after his dangerous driving conviction.”

District Judge Michael Ranaghan told anyone who is a “personal litigant” they were about to hear the benefit of having a solicitor.

He said he would put McNeill on the “precipice of a disqualification” and gave him seven penalty points plus ordered him to pay £150 for each offence plus the £15 offender levy.