Ardboe man who drove drunk into wall beside police station forced to postpone emigration

East Tyrone Magistrate’s Court heard how police came across an accident on Molesworth Street in Cookstown in the early evening of October 24.

A large group of people were staring at a silver Vauxhall Vectra which had mounted a pavement and collided with a brick wall before striking a BT exchange cabinet outside the local hockey club.

Police later reported that he had travelled for 51 feet on the pavement before coming to a halt.

Bricks from the collision had scattered across two parked vehicles causing significant damage.

The driver, Ciaran Robinson, 25, from Battery Road, was nearby and told police that he had no insurance.

He was showing signs of having been drinking and subsequently provided a reading two and a half times the legal limit.

Under interview he made full admissions and said that he had been attempting to eject a CD as he approached the bend in the road.

Mr Noel Dillon, defending, told the court that his client had been planning to emigrate to Australia on Tuesday next where his girlfriend already resides.

District Judge John Meehan answered that there was no way “he is going to waltz off to Australia... so that we, as a community, will pay thousands of pounds for his self indulgence.

“This is a very bad case... with catastrophic consequences and substantial loss incurred.”

Handing down fines totalling £600, an 18 month driving ban and a community service order of 80 hours, Judge Meehan reminded the defendant that he was assured his travel plans had been deferred until the completion of the order, stating that he represented all future people who presented in a similar situation to his own.