‘No excuse for man after road rage situation’

Neil Joseph McConville, Princes Street, Lurgan, had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge and a date was set for a contested hearing.

But on the day of the contest he changed his plea and the case was adjourned so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

The court heard that around 6.30pm a woman was driving out of the car park at the railway station in Lurgan.

She claimed that McConville lay on the back of her car and started to thump the back window. She got out to stop him and he started to shout expletives at her.

The injured party told McConville she was going to phone the police. A friend of the defendant tried to move him on.

The woman took pictures of the defendant who was later identified by police.

When interviewed McConville admitted he had been drinking but claimed that the woman had pulled out in front of him and nearly knocked him over.

A barrister representing the defendant said that the sticking point with the case was McConville’s insistence that the car had nearly knocked him over and he reacted.

However, added the barrister, he accepted his behaviour was totally inappropriate.

He said that McConville was no stranger to the court and was in breach of a suspended sentence for assaults. He asked the judge to differentiate between the offences.

The defendant was also the subject of a probation order and community service which was ongoing, he added.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said McConville was involved in a ‘road rage situation’ and the proper way to deal with the matter was to report it to police. There was no excuse for what he did.