Moneymore man who came sideways down the road in BMW towards police owned car for just 11 hours

Appearing before East Tyrone Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday last was Colin MacInnes, 21, from Fairlea Heights.

His solicitor told the court that her client would be pleading guilty to eight charges arising from an incident on April 3, including failure to stop, remain and report an accident, having no insurance, no learner plates, and two counts of failure to display registration plates.

The court heard how around 11.20am on the day in question, police spotted a BMW car in the Moneymore area coming sideways on the road towards them.

The car made off but the police were able to note that the car did not have registration plates.

Later that day, officers spotted a BMW matching the description, being driven by a male in a red hoody on Orritor Road. Again the car made off at speed towards Cookstown.

The police followed and discovered the same car inflicted with significant damage beside a wall which was also smashed.

Passers-by told the police that the driver had jumped into the back of another car. The constables soon discovered the defendant, wearing a red hoody, in a car parked nearby.

He said that he had never held a full licence and that he had panicked when he saw the police as he had no insurance.

“He offers no excuse,” his solicitor told the court. “It was simply stupidity on his part.

“He is making efforts to change and has applied for work in England.

“He had recently purchased the vehicle with the purpose of using it to learn to drive. He was on his way to his brother’s car wash when he was detected.”

District Judge John Meehan commented that the defendant had only owned the car for eleven hours when the offences came about.

“He has had four convictions in six months,” Judge Meehan said. “This signifies a significant issue as far as his respect for the community.

“In May last year he received a suspended prison sentence so he is in breach of that.”

Handing down fines totalling £950 he further disqualified MacInnes from driving for 18 months.