Co Tyrone motorist was 'swerving all over the road' on Christmas night, Dungannon court hears
A Co Tyrone motorist who was said by the prosecution to have been ‘swerving all over the road’ and caused the driver of an oncoming vehicle to go into the hedge to avoid a collision on Christmas night, has been given a five-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, at Dungannon Magistrates Court.
Eamon McElroy (50) of Kilmascally Road, Dungannon, was also disqualified from driving for two years and fined a total of £615 for dangerous driving, using a vehicle in a dangerous condition, failing to stop in a damage only accident, failing to report, failing to remain, having no insurance, no vehicle test certificate, failing to stop for police, and failing to provide a specimen of breath on December 25 2023.
Bail of £500 was fixed for McElroy to appeal the sentence, and permission to drive pending the appeal was refused.
District Judge Francis Rafferty said he recalled the contest in which the defendant said he had gone out after his Christmas dinner to purchase cannabis, as you do, from a dealer and he had hidden in the footwell of the vehicle for five miles as the dealer drove to get away from the police.
Mr Rafferty said McElroy’s defence had been unbelievable and “outrageously insulting”.
Prosecuting counsel said police had been on mobile patrol when a van pulled out of Ardboe Road, Cookstown, which they noted was in a bad state of repair and failed to stop.
The lawyer said police followed it for five miles and it was being driven erratically and swerving all over the road. She said a car coming towards it had to drive into the hedge for the driver to protect his passengers.
Counsel said a tyre came off the van and sparks were flying before the defendant got out and ran into a field and was later found by police in a river.
She said McElroy had been verbally abusive towards police after they got him out of the river.
A defence lawyer said McElroy has a very limited criminal record and asked the court to take that into consideration. He said the defendant is alcohol dependant and has issues around that.
The lawyer pleaded with the court not to impose a custodial sentence as the defendant has a young daughter.