Co Armagh hairdresser reversed her car outside Portadown bar coming into contact with woman sitting on the kerb, Craigavon court hears
A Co Armagh hairdresser reversed her car outside a bar towards a woman who was sitting on the kerb with her legs on the road, a court has heard.
Josie Elliott, aged 20, from Abercorn Park, Portadown appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court pleading guilty to careless driving.
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The court heard police were on patrol when alerted to an incident in Portadown on August 3 last year, just after 1am, at Mandeville Street involving a VW Golf driven by the defendant and a pedestrian.
They spoke with the injured party and watched CCTV which appeared to show the injured party ‘sitting on the kerb outside Ma Berry’s bar with her legs on the road’.
"Footage then shows the vehicle reversing and making contact with the injured party’s legs,” a prosecutor said.
Elliot’s barrister, Mr Conor Coulter, said his client took this matter “very seriously” and attended, taking a day off work, with her mother.
"I think it’s fair to say she’s quite unfortunate. She was there to collect someone from a night out and was sitting outside the bar,” said Mr Coulter.
"Security personnel outside the bar asked her to move a very short distance from the front door of the bar. She has reversed, at no speed, no aggressive driving,” said the barrister.
He said it wasn’t clear if the injured party was sitting in a “blind spot” but “it certainly was in an unusual position” and “very unfortunately there was some contact between the defendant’s vehicle and the injured party”.
Mr Coulter explained his client is a full-time hairdresser in Lisburn and drives there each day. He added she left school aged 16 and personally funded her own course in hairdressing and is fully qualified.
“Her licence is essential to her in terms of her employment,” he said, adding the defendant is in a position to pay a fine.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he had watched the footage of the incident.
“In one sense, you are unlucky,” he said, adding drivers are required to consider the conditions, the time of night and be aware of the area they are in.
"A bit of additional care was required from you and you have fallen short,” he said giving the defendant four penalty points and fining her £150.