A woman who was high on a cocktail of cocaine, painkillers and benzodiazipines when she crashed her car outside Craigavon courthouse, leaving the car lying on its side on the roundabout was handed fines amounting to £900 today (Wednesday).
Appearing inside the court, Sinead Mary McAvoy was also handed a 12 month driving ban and District Judge Bernie Kelly warned the 38-year-old if she fails to pay the fines within 20 weeks, she would be jailed for 14 days in default.
At an earlier hearing McAvoy, from Beech Court in Lurgan, entered guilty pleas to four offences including dangerous driving, driving while unfit, driving without insurance and resisting a police officer, all committed on April 4 last year.
A prosecutor told the court that just before 9pm that evening, police received a 999 call about a single vehicle road traffic collision at the roundabout between Craigavon Courthouse and Rushmere Shopping Centre.
The caller reported how he had to “slam on the brakes to avoid a collision” as he saw the McAvoy’s car approach the roundabout at speed.
Her car “fail to negotiate the round about” and instead, ended up on it side with both McAvoy and her male passenger trapped inside and the NIFRS had to free the pair who had suffered minor injuries.
He refused to make any statement and the court that when McAvoy was cautioned and charged she “seemed to think it was quite funny”.
The prosecution lawyer told the court that when McAvoy’s urine sample was forensically tested, it was found to contain cocaine, morphine, codeine, diazepam, temazepam and oxycontin, all of which “had the potential to impede driving ability.”
Interviewed about the findings McAvoy refused to answer police questions and defence counsel David McKeown conceded that having “had the misfortune” to have viewed the scene pictures on social media, “she’s very lucky to have escaped with minor injuries”.
Imposing the fines and driving ban, District Judge Kelly reminded McAvoy that she would remain disqualified “until she sits the appropriate driving test.”
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