Young man said to be gathering anunenviable record

Daire McIlroy (19), Glenravel Drive, was given two months in custody, suspended for 12 months, with six penalty points, for driving without insurance on January 13.

A concurrent two month suspended term was imposed for taking a car without the owner’s permission. A suspended sentence he had previously been given was amended to two months suspended for 12 months and is to run consecutively to the other terms making a total of four months.

McIlroy was also fined £100 for driving without due care and attention and £50 for not having a licence.

The court heard police saw a vehicle being driven erratically in Castle Street, Portadown, in the direction of the Garvaghy Road.

It was swerving over the white lines onto the wrong side of the road and almost collided with a parked vehicle.

When spoken to McIlroy said he had borrowed the car but when police checked with the owner, who was the partner of the defendant’s mother, he said he had not given anybody permission to drive the vehicle. McIlroy admitted he did not have a licence or insurance.

A solicitor for the defendant said McIlroy was ‘amassing something of an unenviable record’ but this was his first conviction for driving related matters.