Antrim motorist (80) who drove wrong way up motorway on-slip admits charge of careless driving
An 80-year-old motorist who drove the wrong way up a motorway on-slip at Rathbeg on the M2 near Antrim town has admitted a charge of careless driving.
James Wesley Magowan, of Altmore Close in Antrim town, committed the offence on the morning of May 16 this year.
He was originally charged with dangerous driving but at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, a prosecutor accepted a plea to careless driving. The defendant had been driving for over 60 years with a clear record.
Police saw the defendant driving up the on-slip against the traffic flow. When stopped the defendant said: "I saw the traffic up ahead. I checked it was clear and I turned around."
A defence solicitor said the defendant had entered the slip road from the roundabout and saw traffic on the motorway traffic was at a "standstill". There appeared to have been an earlier incident, hence police were present. There was "no warning or closure sign".
The defendant pulled up onto the hard shoulder a few "metres" onto the on-slip and remained stationary for a time "considering what to do". He checked his mirror and upon seeing the roundabout was clear did a "short U-turn manoeuvre" to get back onto the roundabout.
A police officer standing nearby saw him, made him stop and directed him back onto the hard shoulder "so he had only travelled a few metres".
After a conversation, the solicitor said, the police officer allowed the defendant to "execute this manoeuvre so it actually did happen in the end but the officer stood in the road to ensure no traffic was coming from the roundabout and directed him back onto the roundabout".
No other traffic had been inconvenienced, the court was told. The defendant had been driving over 60 years with a clear record. He was given three penalty points and was fined £200.