Derry Court: Derry man jailed for dangerous driving outside primary school

A man who drove dangerously outside a primary school in order to avoid the police has been jailed at Derry Magistrate's Court.

Martin Maughan (29) of Clon Elagh in Derry admitted a series of driving offences that occurred on September 13 last year.

The court heard that police observed a vehicle parked at the side of the road and approached it. 

They recognised the defendant as the driver and pulled in in front of the vehicle.

The defendant then drove off mounting the pavement and narrowly missing a police officer. 

The court was told that the street was full of children and adults outside a primary school. 

Police pursued the vehicle using their lights and sirens but the defendant failed to stop. 

Eventually Maughan drove across the border and the vehicle was recovered in Bridgend in County Donegal. 

The last registered owner of the vehicle, the defendant's wife, said he had no permission to drive. 

He was also found to have no insurance and had been disqualified in the Republic for a period of 10 years. 

A defence barrister said that it was 'an extremely foolish thing to do.' 

He said Maughan had been avoiding police and had demonstrated 'very poor decision making.' 

Maughan was sentenced to four months in prison, disqualified from driving for 15 months and fined £300.