Car described as '˜death trap'

A car driven by a 20-year-old man was described by police as '˜a death trap' and too unsafe even for a trained officer to take for a test drive.
Police PSNI officer scenePolice PSNI officer scene
Police PSNI officer scene

Ryan Dolan, Islandview Lane, Kinnego, pleaded guilty to a series of motoring offences when he appeared last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

He was fined £120 and banned for two years for dangerous driving on January 23 this year.

For using a vehicle in a dangerous condition he was fined £75 while he was also fined £75 for breach of a traffic sign and £60 for using a mobile phone while driving.

A £250 fine was imposed for not having insurance and he was ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that at 10.10pm the defendant was seen driving in High Street in Lurgan and he went through a red light at Queen Street.

Travelling in Flush Place he drove at 40mph in a 30mph zone and broke the white line on a number of occasions while staying close to the vehicle in front of him.

Police noticed a mobile phone in his right hand at steering wheel level and they believed he was reading from the phone as the car entered Waringstown.

It continued to cross the white line and at the Planters Tavern a passenger in the front seat climbed into the back seat and then pushed his upper body out of a rear window, shouting and screaming.

A trained police officer described the vehicle as ‘a death trap’ with a number of defects. The near rear side wheel was the wrong size, the suspension had failed and both nearside tyres were underinflated.

The police officer deemed the car too unsafe to take for a test drive.

Dolan was not legally represented and pleaded guilty himself.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said these were very substantial offences and the poor condition of the car was of great concern.

He added that the minimum disqualification was not sufficient in this case to reflect the seriousness of what happened.

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