A man who drove a vehicle in Enniskillen with a tyre missing has been given a suspended sentence and a driving ban.

On February 8, 2018, police received a report of a vehicle being driven by a person suspected of being under the influence of drink or drugs.

At 10.35am police located the vehicle at Cornagrade Road and signalled for it to stop. It continued towards the town centre with one of its tyres missing.

The vehicle turned onto Queen Elizabeth Road where it scraped the kerb before hitting a police car.

The driver, Thomas Gerard Ward (29), with an address of Millbrook Gardens, Castlederg, then made his way into the back seat of the vehicle while it was still moving, with an officer having to reach in and pull the handbrake to bring the vehicle to a stop.

A female was also in the back seat and they appeared under the influence. Ward’s speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet, Enniskillen Magistates Court heard on Monday.

The court also heard that Ward had driven off from a filling station without paying for diesel to the value of £10.03.

A prohibited weapon, namely CS spray, was also found in the driver’s door, the court heard.

Denied everything

During an interview with police, Ward denied everything that was put to him, and said he could not remember driving as he had taken 10 Xanax pills beforehand.

Ward’s barrister, Ciaran Roddy, told the court it was accepted this was an “egregiously bad piece of driving” that attracted significant police resources and the only thing to be taken out of it was there were no injuries.

He put into context that the police car Ward hit was hit at a low speed as it moved in front of Ward’s vehicle to stop him, and he did not deliberately drive into the police car.

Mr. Roddy said Ward had a limited record of road traffic offences and asked the court to give him credit for his guilty plea before a contest as well as take into account the length of time the case had taken to come before the court.

District Judge Steven Keown convicted Ward of failing to stop – damage-only accident, possession of a prohibited weapon, dangerous driving, driving when unfit through drink/drugs, no driving licence, failing to stop for police, using a motor vehicle without insurance, and making off without paying.

Ward was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and banned from driving for two years, fined £200 and ordered to pay restitution of £10.03.