Police smashed crashed car window to get to Cookstown man

Twenty-seven-year-old Alan Harkness from Tamnaskeeny Road, Cookstown, was fined £250 and disqualified from three years for driving while having consumed excess alcohol in breath.

Harkness, a painter sprayer, was also fined a further £400 for having no insurance, failing to stop for police and having no driving licence.

Imposing the penalties, Deputy District Judge Sean O’Hare remarked that this was the defendant’s second offence for drink driving and the disqualification would have to be one of three years.

Prosecuting counsel told Dungannon Magistrates Court that on the night of December 26 last year, police were on mobile patrol in the Drum Road area of Cookstown when they observed a red-coloured car parked in a lay-by with its headlights on.

She said the police vehicle stopped behind the car which moved off before appearing to stop.

The lawyer said police deployed blue lights and siren but the car took off again at speed.

Counsel said police lost sight of the vehicle but later came upon it overturned on the Terrywhinny Lane.

She said police had to smash the rear window of the car to get inside and found the defendant positioned in the passenger side of the vehicle.

He was the sole occupant in the vehicle and provided a preliminary breath test showing a reading of 63mgs.

She added checks showed he had no licence and had no insurance for the vehicle.

A defence solicitor said the defendant had made a “grave error of judgement” by driving to a lay-by to meet someone.

He said the defendant has previously served periods in custody and was now trying to get his life back course and was living with his father.

The solicitor said Harkness also suffered from depression and has made several suicide attempts.

Pleading for leniency, he said the defendant had pleaded to the offences at the first opportunity.

Judge O’Hare also ordered Harkness to pay a £15 offender levy and gave him 20 weeks to pay the fines.