Drove wrong way on Motorway

He admitted driving dangerously on the motorway between Drumnakelly and Kilvergan, driving on the wrong side of the road and refusing to stop for the police. He was disqualified from driving for six months and was fined a total of 115.

The defendant’s representative said his client suffered from diabetes, for which he had been receiving treatment. On the day in question he had not had anything to eat for a considerable time, which had caused him to become confused.

Worried that he might slip into a coma, he was anxious to get home as quickly as possible to get some sugar into his blood.

At the time he had been driving towards Belfast but turned to go home. When he left the motorway he found himself on the wrong carriageway. He did not realise this until he met a car.

He stopped on the hard shoulder and signalled for a motorist to stop but he found that no-one would stop for him.

Therefore he got back in the car and drove towards Lurgan and somewhere along the way the police came along and signalled for him to stop. When he eventually realised it was the police he stopped.

A police sergeant told the court how he attempted to stop the defendant by signalling with a large light but the defendant was driving at a fast speed and he had to jump out of the way of the car.

The police car then drove alongside him in the proper carriageway. The defendant didn’t seem to see any signs and appeared to stop of his own accord.