A Richhill man who wrote off his £14,000 car whilst uninsured has been handed nine penalty points.
Court heard that police found the 29-year-old outside “with cuts and blood on his face outside a bar”.
Gerard Anthony Rafferty, of Mullanasilla Road, pleaded guilty to driving without due care or attention and driving without insurance at Armagh Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Court heard that on July 1, at around 9pm, police received a report of a one-vehicle collision on Tassagh Road, Keady.
Whilst on their way, officers came upon the defendant with cuts and blood on his face outside a bar.
Rafferty said that he had been driving and had been involved in a one-vehicle car accident.
He took officers to the location of the accident; his BMW was in a ditch after a left-hand bend.
Checks showed that the vehicle did not have an active insurance policy.
Rafferty was cautioned and replied, “that’s alright”.
He claimed that the accident was caused by his tyres being bald but police deemed them as adequate.
The defendant subsequently failed to attend with police for an interview.
Defence barrister Kevin O’Hare stated: “He has pleaded guilty to careless driving but claims that the wheels may have been the issue.
“The tyres were deemed as legal by police but they were not optimum.”
He said: “Mr Rafferty has been off the road since the accident. He is very lucky to be alive and the fact he wasn’t insured has put him out of a lot of money.
“The car, which he paid £14,000 for, has been wrote-off and he hasn’t been able to buy a new one.”
The defendant was handed nine penalty points and was ordered to pay a fine of £600, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 16 weeks.
