A BELCOO man, who took his mother’s car without permission last Christmas Eve, has been banned from driving for six months.
Enniskillen Magistrates Court heard on Monday that police were on mobile patrol on the Irvinestown Road in Enniskillen on December 24th when they observed a Toyota Rav 4 being driven by John Paul McTernan.
The driver overtook a vehicle on a continuous white line before proceeding on towards the Lawnakilla road. Police stopped McTernan at Cranny Way where it was discovered that he was driving uninsured and only held a provisional licence.
When officers called to the defendant’s home, his mother informed them that she owned the vehicle in question and that her son had no authority to take it.
McTernan (24) of Loughview Drive in Belcoo was charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, breach of a road traffic sign and driving unaccompanied, without insurance or L-plates.
The court heard that McTernan had shown remorse in his subsequent police interviews and vowed not to drive again. District Judge Nigel Broderick was told that the defendant had taken his mother’s car keys from her bedside drawer without her knowledge before he left the house to clear his head from ongoing family issues at the time.
Defence solicitor Tommy Owens said his client was remorseful: “At the time, he was going through a bad period and took his mother’s car to escape a situation he was in. He doesn’t intend to drive again.”
Judge Broderick imposed fines totalling £240 and a conditional discharge for 12 months. McTernan was also disqualified from driving for six months.
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