A Moy woman who caused an accident which left her passenger, her best friend, wearing a frame on her leg for “quite some time” has been handed a 12 month ban.
The district judge commented: “I am concerned that there is no discretion, when the facts of the case are heard. I have noted that this was a plea at the first opportunity but she has to live with this everyday. This was her best friend.”
The 21-year-old, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily injury by careless driving at Armagh Magistrates’, sitting at Newry, on Tuesday via videolink from her solicitor’s office.
Prosecution outlined that at 3.50pm on October 18, of last year, police were tasked to a road traffic collision on the Keady Road, Armagh.
Officers arrived to observe a BMW, which was driven by defendant, had collided with a fence and silage bales.
A front seat passenger in the defendant’s car was complaining of pain in her right leg and had to be taken by ambulance to hospital.
Upon speaking to witnesses, police found that the accident had occurred when an Audi, a van and the defendant’s vehicle had been behind a tractor towing a trailer which had a defective light.
The van driver stated that they had moved out to overtake but when observing that the tractor was about to turn right moved back in behind the Audi.
However, the BMW driven by the accused continued on and that is when the collision occurred with it eventually coming to a stop after colliding with the fence and silage bales.
Prosecution stated that the front seat passenger, a friend of the defendant, had significant injuries which required eight pins in her leg and that she had to wear a frame “for quite some time”.
Defence solicitor Martin Donaghy stated: “This was a very unfortunate set of events which have no doubt had a significant impact on the defendant.
“She was confronted by the tractor which was turning, she only had one way to go but onto the grass verge and narrowly missed a telegraph pole and due to the grass she had no braking control.”
He added: “Unfortunately, her best friend was seriously injured. She visited her everyday in hospital and was very upset by what happened.”
District Judge Eamonn King stated: “The court has no discretion in this matter. I am sympathetic to people who find themselves in a situation like this.
“I am concerned that there is no discretion, when the facts of the case are heard. I have noted that this was a plea at the first opportunity but she has to live with this everyday. This was her best friend.”
The 21-year-old was disqualified from driving for 12 months and was ordered to pay a fine of £200, along with the offender’s levy of £15.
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