Brian Shannon (61), originally from the Cookstown area but now with an address listed as in Maybole in Scotland, had been driving a Scania lorry late on the night of April 22 this year at Belfast Road near Larne. He failed to stop but officers caught up with him a short distance away, Ballymena Magistrates' Court was told. 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.
The defendant admitted charges of dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol in breath and failing to stop following an accident. A prosecutor said around 11pm a police officer wearing a hi-vis jacket and with a torch was directing traffic after a vehicle had broken down and was "partially on the road". The lorry had approached "at speed" and although the officer signalled for it to slow down and change lanes the truck crashed into the broken down vehicle causing damage and "narrowly missing" the officer who had to "jump back to avoid being struck".
When taken to Antrim Police Station, the defendant had an alcohol in breath reading of 86 - the legal limit is 35. Advertisement Advertisement The defendant told police he had been "living" in his cab and had parked up at Larne port to await a trailer coming off a ferry and had "a couple of whiskeys" in the lorry. A defence barrister said the defendant lost his employment as a result of the crash and "this has been a very serious lesson to him".
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