A DISQUALIFIED Ballinamallard driver escaped police detection twice within 12 hours after he sped away from a police patrol vehicle, narrowly missing a pedestrian and mounting a kerb.
26-year-old David Eugene Francis White, of Baragh Gardens, pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while disqualified, two counts of driving dangerously, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police and no MOT certificate.
Outlining the facts, a prosecutor told the court that on October 26 last year, shortly before 11pm, police were on mobile patrol on Barragh Road in Ballinamallard when they spotted a car parked on the side of the road.
The officers recognised the driver as White and knew he was a disqualified driver.
As the officers got out of their car to speak with him, White spotted the officers, reversed and sped off before revving his engine and narrowly missing a pedestrian.
The officers chased him in the car with the sirens on, but they lost sight of his vehicle.
Some 12 hours later, at approximately 10.30am the next day, officers patrolling the Baragh Gardens area of Ballinamallard spotted White driving a Citroen Saxo.
Again, when he spotted the patrol car, White turned left and accelerated causing the rear of his vehicle to skid outwards, and the two vehicles came face to face with each other.
In an attempt to escape police, White mounted the kerb and drove across the gardens of privately owned homes, narrowly missing a number of garden items and scattered plants on the road before making off in the direction of Irvinestown. Again the officers lost sight of him.
Defence barrister Stephan Rafferty told the court that his client only got the car to carry out work on it before selling it on to make some money.
He continued: “That night he had gone to a Chinese takeaway to collect food for him and his partner.
“It was raining and he foolishly decided to drive there as it was a wet night.
“He accepts and admits he was foolish and reckless.
“He went through a traumatic incident in 2005 and that’s when his offending started happening.
White had three suspended sentences at the time of the incident, but District Judge Nigel Broderick did not activate these instead handing him an maximum 100 hours of community service and 12 months probation service with an order to attend any recommended programmes.
Judge Broderick concluded: “These are serious matters, but there is a little glimmer of hope from the probation report.”
White was warned that if he breaches any of the court orders, he could face a jail sentence.
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