A teenager who took his grandmother’s car without her permission and crashed it whilst over the limit has been disqualified for 12 months.
Court heard that when en route to custody the 19-year-old told police: “Whoop-de-f***ing-doo. I hit a sign.”
Dylan Mawhinney, of Clanrolla Park, Moyraverty, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, aggravated taking and causing damage to a vehicle, using a vehicle without insurance and no licence at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he appeared via videolink from Hydebank.
Court heard that on May 26, at 3.20am, police on patrol in the Enniskeen area of Craigavon observed a Ford Focus which was damaged with sparks coming from it.
They later found the car crashed into a street sign on the Lake Road with the driver nowhere to be seen.
Officers were approached by the defendant who identified himself as the driver of the vehicle.
He said that the car belonged to his grandmother and he had taken it without her permission.
Police noted a smell of intoxicating liquor on Mawhinney’s breath and so opted to conduct a preliminary breath test which resulted in a fail.
The defendant was arrested and whilst en route to custody he stated: “Whoop-de-f***ing-doo. I hit a sign.”
An evidential sample collected in custody showed the defendant to have 55mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
When interviewed, Mawhinney made a full admission and said it was “a stupid thing to do”.
Defence solicitor Siun Downey stated: “He is amassing quite a record. He has been in Hydebank since the incident and he accepts this was a foolish thing to do.”
Mawhinney was disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a fine of £850, along with the offender’s levy of £15.
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