A Donaghcloney man who failed to remain and report a collision after an Audi car was found on its side in a ditch claimed he had swerved to avoid a badger.
Sammy Bingham (34), of Winona Crescent, committed offences on August 29 last year in connection with an incident at Killysorrell Road near Blackskull.
He appeared via video link from prison at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
A prosecutor said police received a report of an Audi having been found by a member of the public on its side in a ditch on the Killysorrell Road.
Police attended and noted there were no occupants.
Enquiries showed the vehicle was “on loan” to the defendant.
Police had gone to addresses but were unable to locate him.
They spoke to him the next day and he said he had “swerved to avoid a badger on the road” and had lost control of the vehicle, ending up in a ditch.
He said he didn’t report the incident at the time “due to needing to be in work the following day”.
He was given a six months driving ban and a £400 fine.
He is currently serving a prison sentence.
A previous court heard that on February 7 this year he had driven with excess alcohol at Donaghcloney and was given a driving ban.
In another court in March he was jailed in connection with the death of a teenage girl in a car crash in County Down in 2019.
He was given a 14 months prison term – half to be served in custody and the rest on release licence – after he let the drunk teenager, with no driving licence, drive his car. The girl had been at a pub in the Ballygowan area.
The 17-year-old crashed the car and died shortly after going behind the wheel.
Bingham was a front seat passenger in the vehicle. After the crash in 2019, he did not call the emergency services. Initially he left the scene, then returned with friends who put the teenage girl into a different car and took her to Belfast’s City Hospital.
Bingham had pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the case. One of the charges related to his actions after the crash.
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