AN ENNISKILLEN man failed to provide police with a breath specimen following a crash has been banned from driving despite denying being the driver of the car involved. 

Rory Johnston (23) of Underwood Park appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to allowing himself to be carried in a car that had been taken without consent, and failing to provide police with a breath specimen. 

On Thursday, May 1 police were called to the scene of a road traffic accident near the Devenish Bar in Enniskillen. Johnston was standing around 15 metres from the scene of the collision and then made off from police.

The officers later found Johnston in another bar. He failed to comply with their requests for a breath sample at the bar, and again when he was taken to the police station. 

Defence solicitor Emer Cox said Johnston, who works for a local hotel, denied driving the car and causing damage to the other car, but explained he had failed to give a breath sample when police caught up with him sometime later because he mistakenly believed he was not obliged to do so. 

Judge Broderick said Johnston’s explanation “begs the question of who was driving”, pointing out his co-accused had also denied driving. He disqualified Johnston from driving for 18 months, until retested, and fined him £200 for failing to provide a specimen. For allowing himself to be carried in a car taken without consent, he fined him £100.