Motorist in stolen car fled from police at over 100mph before crashing near Toomebridge
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Thomas James Coleman (32), with an address given as no fixed abode in Belfast, admitted charges including dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.
He also pleaded guilty to driving whilst unfit; failing to provide a specimen and insurance and driving licence offences.
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Hide AdThe defendant, who appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court sitting in Ballymena via video link from prison, also admitted shoplifting offences.


A prosecutor said that at 10.45am on May 6 last year a car was being driven erratically in the Dunsilly Roundabout area near Antrim town.
The vehicle was located by police at The Junction shopping complex in Antrim and when it left the area police followed.
Officers signalled for it to stop at Milltown Road by using siren and lights but the vehicle failed to stop, and fled from police at high speed, doing double the speed limit for the road. It was swerving on the road and narrowly avoided colliding with several oncoming vehicles.
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Hide AdAt Randalstown Road it did 95mph narrowly avoiding collisions with vehicles which had to mount kerbs to avoid being hit.
On the A6 the car - a Dacia Sandero - hit a speed of "over 100mph" and lost control on a roundabout at Toomebridge. The vehicle entered against oncoming traffic and collided with a crash barrier.
The pursuit had lasted 15 minutes. Police "extracted" two people from the vehicle and Coleman had been driving.He was unsteady on his feet and had dilated pupils.
It was established the vehicle was stolen and a number of stolen items were in the car. The items had been taken from The Junction where £370 worth of goods had been taken from a Nike store and £27 worth of goods were taken from B&M Bargains.
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Hide AdThe court heard the defendant was already a sentenced prisoner for another matter and is due for release in March.
A defence barrister said the defendant, who had 107 previous convictions, has been "institutionalised" by being in prison as it gives him "structure" whereas when he is in the community he has an "unstable" lifestyle.
District Judge Nigel Broderick noted the defendant told Probation he finds prison an "easy option as it gives him a bed and three meals per day" and the defendant said if he was put on Probation it would be a "harder option" as it would mean he would have to "fix his life".
The defence barrister said the defendant needs "settled accommodation in the community".
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Hide AdJudge Broderick pondered how he could "break the cycle" of reoffending. With the defendant not due to get out of jail until March the judge asked if the Probation Service could help give the defendant "some kind of structure" rather than "just throw him out on the street" when he leaves jail as there was a "high risk" he would be homeless and re-offend.
The judge said that "not without significant hesitation" he would not hand down a custodial sentence but instead would give the defendant a chance to address underlying issues.
The judge said jail was entirely justified and the driving had been "extremely dangerous" and it was only by the "grace of God" there had been no serious injury or even a fatality.
Judge Broderick put the defendant on Probation for a year with a condition that he engages in alcohol/drug treatment. He was also given a two-year driving ban.