Woman abandoned crashed car in Cookstown

Orla Murray from Bernagh Gardens, Dungannon pleaded guilty to three driving offences in relation to the incident on March 28.

The court heard how the 25-year-old single mum had crashed through a fence at a home on Legnacash Road at around 7am that morning in her red Vauxhall Astra.

Reading the facts of the case, a lawyer for the prosecution said she then abandoned the car and “went to a friend’s house and consumed whiskey before returning to tell the owner”.

A man out walking his dog reported seeing the crashed car at around 11.30am, but police were not called to the house until later that day, when they found the young mum sitting in the kitchen waiting after residents called police.

In her defence, counsel told the court the retail sales assistant “was very shaken up” by the incident and had slept and took a drink in an effort to gain some “Dutch courage” before returning to tell them what she had done.

Pleading leniency for his client, a defence Barrister said this was Murray’s first ever offence and that she had made full admissions in relation to the charges.

Questioning Murray’s inability to stay on the road, District Judge John asked: “Can you explain how she failed to keep the car on the road?”

In answer the defence said she was “unfamiliar with the road”.

Judge Meehan fined the retail worker a total of £515 for failing to report the accident, remain at scene and for driving without due care and attention.

The young mum was also banned from the road for six months for failing to report the accident, six months for not staying at the scene and two months for careless driving.