Co Armagh man 'lucky to be alive' after 'horrendous accident' involving off-road scrambler in Lurgan, Craigavon court hears

Lewis Corey, from Elmwood Terrace, Lurgan appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday.

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He previously pleaded guilty to a number of charges including having no L plates displayed, being a motorcycle rider without protective headgear, no insurance and using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

Corey’s solicitor, Ms Siun Downey, said her client was before the court for sentencing. She said the district judge had asked her if her client was able to drive given his medical diagnosis.

Ms Downey said her client “isn’t sure” that his consultant had told him not to drive for the first year and they would assess it after that. She explained it’s not been a year since the incident so he still isn’t allowed to drive.

“He doesn’t know if its going to be a lifetime thing,” she said, adding the defendant didn’t attend court as his grandmother had died.

The court heard police were called to a road traffic collision involving an off-road scrambler motorbike at Silverwood Road, Lurgan on June 13 last year at 9am. The ambulance was on the scene when police arrived and identified the defendant who wasn’t wearing a helmet and had sustained “extensive injuries”.

"He was unresponsive due to a head trauma and therefore unable to say what had happened,” a prosecutor told the court, adding the defendant was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for treatment and remained in a “critical condition”.

“The hospital drink driving procedure was requested, however it was declined by the doctor in charge,” said the prosecutor, adding the scrambler was not insured and it was not a vehicle designed for public road and was in a dangerous condition. The defendant only held a provisional driving licence and had no L-plates at the time.

Corey’s solicitor said: “Any punishment this man’s given today will never meet the punishment that essentially, he will have for the rest of his life.

"It was a horrendous accident. He's very lucky to be alive. He was actually airlifted from Lurgan to the Royal where he spent almost two months there,” said Ms Downey, adding her client has “very little memory of this situation given the extreme injuries that he received”.

"It will affect him for the rest of his life,” said the solicitor, who said Corey doesn’t have “that big of a record”.

“I would hope this would essentially stop Mr Corey’s contact with police. He has had a total change in lifestyle. He is sorry for his actions.”

"Nothing Your Worship could do could meet the punishment he has essentially inflicted on himself,” she said.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “I accept that and it’s something I am entitled to take into account. The reality is, while I will disqualify him today, he’s not fit to drive in any account.”

For no L plate, no insurance and for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition Corey was banned from driving for three months.

"I think Mr Corey’s problems will last a lot longer than that,” he said.

For failing to wear a helmet and the other three charges he was fined £50 for each offence plus £15 offender levy.