A Portadown woman who lied to police claiming her car was stolen after it was involved in a hit and run has been handed a conditional discharge.
Court heard that police contacted the 26-year-old after the car was found burnt out with its bumper being left at the scene of the incident.
Catriona Curran, 26, of Keelmount Grange, pleaded guilty to obstructing police at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
It was heard that on November 3, police received a report of a hit and run on the Circular Road, Lurgan.
A parked Hyundai vehicle had been hit by a Ford Focus and the bumper of the assailant’s car had been left lodged in the injured party’s car.
The Focus was later found by police burnt out with its bumper missing.
Officers attended the home of the last registered owner of the car, who was the defendant.
On November 5, she made a statement to police that her car keys had been stolen as she had left her back door open.
Just five minutes later, Curran changed her statement, claiming she knew who had been driving the vehicle and the theft report was false.
Defence solicitor Gabriel Ingram stated: “The car was stolen…she did not know [who] had taken it, but she did later find out [who it was].
“She could have tried to contest this, but she has come clean.”
He added: “This is a 26-year-old, single mother-of-one, she has a criminal record, but it has tapered off and she has nothing of a similar nature”.
Deputy District Judge John Rea stated: “You have pleaded guilty to obstructing police, as far as obstruction offences go this was on the lower end of the scale.
“However, you deliberately misled police and made their lives harder”.
Curran was handed a 12-month conditional discharge.
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