By GARRETT HARGAN
A Derry judge has warned a serial driving offender that if he commits any further offences he will receive a ‘lengthy period of imprisonment’.
The comments were made as Paul Barr, 32, of Bligh’s Gardens in the city, was given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate’s Court on Friday, April 21.
He pleaded guilty to charges of driving while disqualified and without insurance on February 4 of this year.
A Public Prosecution Service (PPS) representative said there was a police checkpoint on the Skeoge Road at 8pm on that date when the defendant was stopped in his vehicle. Police checks showed that a woman was the only person insured to drive the car.
The defendant admitted he was a disqualified driver and made no reply after caution. As there were three children in the car, a PSNI officer drove it back to Barr’s home where a female admitted giving him permission to drive it. Her case was previously dealt with by the court.
District Judge Barney McElholm said Barr ‘told a story to his probation officer’ and questioned why the defendant would have taken three young children in the car to hospital when one child was ill. He made reference to the fact officers had taken them all home instead of escorting the sick child to hospital, which he said ‘they normally wouldn’t do’.
The court heard Barr had a suspended sentence hanging over him when he drove the vehicle as well as the driving suspension.
Defence solicitor Maeliosa Barr said his client’s partner was at home looking after a one-month old child. He said the 32-year-old was in a ‘stressed state’ when he ‘foolishly got in the car’.
Warning
Mr Barr said the defendant had managed to stay out of trouble for long periods of time and realised the offences passed the custody threshold. But he questioned whether ‘society would benefit’ from his client receiving a custodial sentence.
The Resident Magistrate commented: “He has a bad record for driving. Drink-driving in the past, has been given probation and community service orders and didn’t honour those. He drives when disqualified and then does it again.”
He added: “Sometimes you wonder what you have to do. Do you have to sit banging them on the head for an hour before the message gets through?”
Barr was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for three years and fined £400. He was also disqualified from driving for a period of three years and warned ‘if he comes before the court again in the next three years I will sentence him to a lengthy period of imprisonment’.
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team on 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories Or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Or you can email editor@derrynews.net at any time.
