Lurgan man, who was spotted speeding by police and failed to stop, said his partner's waters had broken and he was rushing home
A Lurgan man, who drove away from police failing to stop during a short but speedy pursuit, had been rushing home as his partner’s waters had broken, a court hears.
Nathan Breen, aged 30, from Deeny Drive, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday last charged with careless driving and failing to stop for police.
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Police had been on patrol on May 18 this year at 9.40pm and spotted a Transit van parked at St Colman’s Cemetery. They saw a male driver “appeared to be nervous” as police passed “avoiding eye contact”.
“When police turned its vehicle the defendant then drove off at speed on the North Circular Road onto Levin Road,” said the Prosecutor, adding police used lights and sirens to get the defendant to stop.
A “very short pursuit” ensued down Levin Road, Deeny Drive, Kilwilkie Road and Drumnamoe Road where the vehicle was abandoned.
"In an attempt to make off from police the driver drove the vehicle in speeds in excess of 50mph within the 30mph limit. The driver narrowly missed colliding with parked cars and police noted there were small children playing in the area at the time,” said the Prosecutor.
The driver ran off and couldn’t be found. Police forced their way into the vehicle and found three identification cards belonging to Breen.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said the initial charge was “dangerous driving”, adding “I can understand why after hearing the facts”.
Breen’s solicitor, Mr Pat Vernon said his client accepts “the way it looked” to the police at the time. However his client explained that just before police arrived he got a call to say his partner, who was pregnant, that her waters had broken.
"He accepts he did drive a little bit faster than he should have. But he had got that phone call and he was rushing. He lives in the estate and knows it well. He wasn’t trying to get away or anything like that. He was simply rushing home.
"He parked the car, locked it and ran down an alleyway which leads to his house. Though it looked to police like a different scenario, he instructs that’s what was happening at the time,” said Mr Vernon.
The solicitor said his client is a self-employed digger driver. “It was definitely not a situation where he was trying to avoid the police. He was simply rushing home because he got that phone call,” said Mr Vernon, adding that in relation to the blue lights his client said there was a car between him and the police car and he assumed the lights were for someone else.
District Judge Ranaghan said: “You’re a lucky man that a plea to careless driving has been accepted here. Mr Vernon indicates that your wife’s waters may have broken but if you had the sense to stop when police asked you to, I’m sure they would have given you some credence to that and you may not have ended up here today."
For careless driving he banned Breen from driving for two months plus a £200 fine and the £15 Offender Levy. For failing to stop for police he was fined £150.
District Judge Ranaghan asked: “Any children?” Mr Vernon said: “There’s one now.” The defendant was given 14 weeks to pay the fines.
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