Learner driver who rammed police while in posession of drugs escapes jail sentence
A learner driver who fled a police checkpoint was then boxed in by police but rammed a PSNI vehicle in Ballymena.
Robert Ian Stevenson (35), of Lewis Park in Ballymena, was sentenced at the town's magistrates' court on charges of dangerous driving; failing to stop for police; absence of L plates; being an unaccompanied L driver and possession of cannabis.
On February 28 this year police had a vehicle checkpoint at Crebilly Road in Ballymena and saw an Audi turn and drive in the opposite direction "in an attempt to evade" officers, a prosecutor said.
Police used blue lights and sirens signalling for it to stop and when it halted at a red traffic light at Larne Road Link a police vehicle pulled in front.
The Audi reversed and went round the police vehicle at speed and through the red light. It narrowly missed another motorist and swerved between lanes.
Police caught up and "boxed it in". The defendant made a final attempt to make off and collided with the front of the police vehicle causing minor damage.
The defendant was removed from the vehicle and he was found with cannabis in his pocket.
A defence barrister said the defendant had "panicked" and was "ashamed" of his behaviour but "thankfully nobody was hurt".
The defendant was given a four months prison term, suspended for three years. He was banned from driving for 20 months and was fined £305.
Deputy district judge Mark Hamill told him: "You cannot put other people in danger. So when your head hits the pillow tonight consider how lucky you are you are not facing prison of sentence of four or five years, if you had hurt anybody.”
The sentence was handed down on Thursday.