Co Tyrone van driver found walking in field after leaving crash scene loses licence

District Judge Francis Rafferty was told police were called to the collision involving a white van and car at Drum Road, Cookstown, at 9.39pm on March 16.

Before the court was 37-year-old Peadar Meenan, of Mulnafye Road, Omagh, who was also fined £200 with a £15 offender’s levy on a charge of driving while having consumed excess alcohol in breath.

He was fined a further £200 for failing to remain at the scene of an accident, and failing to report the accident.

Imposing the penalities, Judge Rafferty told him he was three times the drink-drive limit and his behaviour after the accident “does you no credit.”

Prosecuting counsel said there was substantial damage to the front of the van and there was no-one in or around the vehicle which had its airbags deployed.

The lawyer said officers spoke to a female in the other vehicle who complained of neck pain, and she told them the van driver had left the area

She told police he had driven into the back of her vehicle and had been “driving all over the road” before the crash and tried to leave after hitting her vehicle.

Continuing, the lawyer said Meenan was later spotted walking in a field and provided a preliminary test which showed a fail.

He was arrested and police obtained an evidential specimen which showed an alcohol reading of 94 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.

She added that police conveyed the defendant to hospital as he had been injured.

They obtained DNA from an airbag which matched the defendant, who provided a no comment interview.

A defence solicitor said Meenan worked as self-employed concrete installer and 90 per cent of his work is in Moira, and he will now have to employ someone to work with him.

He said that thankfully no one had sustained injuries of a serious nature in the collision.

The solicitor added the defendant was keen to put the matter behind him, take the test and get back on the road.