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06 Dec 2025

County Derry man who crashed car through a hedge and into a field at 110mph jailed

Spencer Jonathan Downey, 30, from Coronation Villas in Maghera pleaded guilty to the offences as well as guilty to dangerous driving and guilty to failing to stop for the police

Man returned for trial to Derry Crown Court on 28 charges

Derry Crown Court

Reporter:

Court Reporter

01 Oct 2024 1:23 PM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

A disqualified and uninsured driver who crashed his Mercedes car through a hedge and into a field after he drove at 110mph along the Glenshane Road near Maghera last New Year's Eve has been jailed for 18 months at Derry Crown Court.
Spencer Jonathan Downey, 30, from Coronation Villas in Maghera pleaded guilty to the offences as well as guilty to dangerous driving and guilty to failing to stop for the police. 
The court was told that Downey had two sets of highly relevant previous convictions.
Members of a police mobile patrol saw Downey, who they knew was a disqualified driver, driving from Maghera towards the Glenshane Road at 60mph in a 30mph.
The officers activated their blue lights as well as their siren and drove after Downey who accelerated when he saw the police car pursuing him. He drove in excess of 110mph along the Glenshane Road and because of his speed the police had to terminate their chase.
However a short time later a member of the public contacted the police to report that a car had crashed through a hedge and into a field further along the Glenshane Road and that a man and woman got out of the car after the crash. When the police arrived at the scene they arrested Downey who immediately admitted the driving offences.
Judge Neil Rafferty told Downey that the Glenshane Road had many side roads but fortunately no vehicles attempted to exit them as Downey drove at 110mph.
"He was effectively caught red handed. This man must now realise that the road traffic legislation will result in a relatively significant custodial sentence being imposed" he said.
The judge said he noted that Downey "has difficulty in passing the written aspect of the driving test" and that he had previous convictions for dangerous driving in June 2022 and July of last year.
"He was driving when disqualified when he committed these offences. When you drive when disqualified it is effectively a breach of a court order. The police chase was terminated due to public safety issues and his driving resulted in a crash. He has reached the stage in his criminal driving record where a custodial sentence is absolutely unavoidable", he added.
As well as jailing Downey for 18 months Judge Rafferty disqualified him from driving for five years.
"If you again drive while disqualified and come back before me you will receive a very significant custodial sentence", he warned Downey.

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