Bump starting car results in ten points

A motorist had taken a few whiskies and tried to bump start his car resulting in it colliding with a neighbour’s vehicle, Magherafelt Magistrates Court was told.
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Sixty-two-year-old Patrick Mullan from Regency Court, Magherafelt, was fined £300 with a £15 offender levy and given 10 penalty points for being in charge of the vehicle while having consumed excess alcohol.

The court heard the incident happened at Regency Court in the town on May 1 this year.

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Prosecuting counsel said police attended and on speaking to Mullan, he explained that he had been trying to bump start his car when it collided with the other car.

The lawyer said the defendant agreed to participate in a preliminary breath test which he failed and was cautioned and arrested.

Counsel said Mullan was conveyed to Antrim custody suite, where he provided a specimen which showed an alcohol count of 100mgs in breath.

Describing it as “an usual set of facts”, defence lawyer Liam McStay said the prosecution would have had difficulty proving a charge of driving with excess alcohol as the defendant had looked at the vehicle and then went away and came back and pushed it.

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Mr McStay said the defendant was trying to bump start it when it ran down the hill into the back of the other car.

He said he had spoken to the injured party who had seen him run past her window and she had contacted the police.

Mr McStay explained the defendant had been intending to go visit his mother’s grave who was recently deceased.

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