Motorist drove off after knocking down woman in Magherafelt

Steven Jeffers (25), of Ballymacarrett Road, Belfast, also picked up seven penalty points on charges of careless driving, failing to report and remain at the scene of the accident on February 19.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court that at approximately 7.50pm police received a report that a pedestrian had been struck by a car at Broad Street and sustained minor cuts and bruises.

She said the car had entered from the Church Street direction and failed to give way to two pedestrians on the carriageway.

The lawyer said defendant had then left the scene and was later stopped by the police on the M2.

She said he informed police he had not seen the pedestrians and had left the scene because he “picked up on the women’s accents”, and made the decision to leave.

Defence barrister Liam McStay said defendant lived in Belfast but was originally from this area and was on his way home to play bowls at Kildress.

Mr McStay said the injured party had been crossing close to the mini-roundabout and not on a zebra crossing as she claimed in her statement, just as the defendant entered the carriageway.

He said Jeffers had perhaps spent a little too long at the roundabout and did not see the pedestrians when he turned.

Mr McStay described it as a low impact accident with the side of defendant’s vehicle and when he stopped the lady appeared to him to be okay, and he made the wrong decision to proceed to Kildress for the bowls match.

He added that the defendant had intended to contact the police when he arrived at Kildress, but could not get a mobile signal.

He then decided to drive home and report the incident but was intercepted by police before he could do so, said Mr McStay.

District Judge Alan White told Jeffers that he was entitled to credit for pleading guilty and for his long clear record.