Lurgan bricklayer told he is 'lucky to be alive' after losing control of a vehicle in Magheralin

Matthew Griffin, aged 27, from Silverwood Drive, Lurgan appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with dangerous driving.

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No details of the case were shared in court other than there was a charge that Griffin drove a car dangerously in the Ballyeden Meadows area of Magheralin on August 17, 2024.

Deputy District Judge Jonathan Dunlop was asked to consider the charge of dangerous driving based on the evidence included in the papers put forward to the court.

He said: “I believe this is careless driving at the high end and just below dangerous. The reason being there is an independent witness who speaks about the clip on the island and that corroborates what is said in interview without him volunteering that information.

"It is not a case where he left the scene. In fact, he is lucky to be alive, him and his fellow passengers and any other pedestrians.

"I will give it the benefit of the doubt as high end careless rather than low end dangerous which would be a mandatory disqualification,” said the deputy district judge.

Griffin’s barrister Mr Conor Lunny said his client is a young man who lives at home.

“His mother is in court and they take the matter extremely seriously,” he said.

"He accepts that on the day in question he simply lost control, that much is clear. The consequences, I accept, could have been far, far worse for both him, the pedestrian and indeed his own passengers,” said Mr Lunny, adding that he accepted it happened in a built-up area which aggravates the situation.

Mr Lunny said Griffin is a foreman for a local brickwork company and produced a reference from the firm. It said the defendant had been working for them for two-and-a-half years and worked his way up from bricklayer to foreman.

"He has been a great asset to the company. His ability to manage a squad of men is second to none. His sense of integrity and responsibility is not to be questioned. He is a hardworking young man who is respected by the rest of the squad,” the reference said.

Mr Lunny said ‘the squad’ referred to include men from Poleglass though the defendant lives in Lurgan and the sites he is in charge of are in Carryduff and Holywood.

The deputy district judge said: “There’s a Glider for the Poleglass boys so they can make their way out there rightly.”

Mr Lunny said his client is “rather more pessimistic” about whether he can carry on that job.

The deputy district judge said: “If it had of been dangerous driving there would have been a mandatory one-year driving ban and custody would have been in the realm of options.

"I have found it high end careless,” he said, imposing a five months driving ban “to reflect the serious nature of the aftermath of the speeding and the consequences that could have happened”. He also ordered Griffin to pay a £500 plus the £15 offender levy.

"I will give him 26 weeks to pay, given the effect it may have on his employment,” he said.