District Judge Nigel Broderick was speaking at Ballymena Magistrates' Court regarding John Hartley (39),of Kernan Hill Manor in Portadown, who admitted driving without due care and attention at Largy Road near Portglenone at 11am on January 26 this year. The judge viewed dashcam footage of the incident. The court heard an oncoming car had to pull in to avoid a head-on collision and that vehicle received "some damage".
Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. A defence lawyer said the defendant had not been on the road before. The lawyer said there was only one 'hidden dip sign' on the left hand side of the road and it had been obscured by the high-sided lorry his client was passing.
The defence lawyer said there were no injuries. The court heard the defendant had been driving for 21 years with no previous convictions. Handing down nine penalty points and a £300 fine, the judge said that "not without some hesitation" he would not ban the defendant and that was because he had pleaded guilty; had been driving without previous convictions and driving is part of his employment.
Judge Broderick added: "There but for the Grace of God there was no accident because it is quite clear this was a poor overtaking manoeuvre". Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you..
