The DUP has said that the public are concerned about the sentences being handed down to extreme motoring offenders, after the latest "eyebrow-raising" case in the courts.

The statement from Deborah Erskine MLA, the chairwoman of Stormont’s transport committee, was in response to the sentencing this week of Charlotte Spence for a catalogue of wild driving.

The News Letter has run a string of stories in the last few months about suspended sentences and temporary driving bans being handed out in cases of extreme motoring offences, such as dangerously fleeing the police or speeding at almost 140mph.

The latest one came at Newry Crown Court on Tuesday when Charlotte Spence – 35, of Railway Street in Strabane – was given a two-year probation order and banned from driving for a year.

placeholder image — Deborah Erskine (from her Facebook feed). The DUP MLA has said the sentencing in the case of Charlotte Spence will 'raise eyebrows'

Spence had admitted dangerous driving, driving while banned, possessing heroin, and using a car without insurance, all committed in April 2020.

She had appeared to be passed out in a car in Keady, Co Armagh, and when approached by police she took off at speed, risking crashes involving pedestrians and at least three lorries as she tried to escape.

She drove the wrong way along roads and mounted kerbs – at one point losing one of the tyres. Nevertheless, she continued fleeing at speeds of up to 100mph before crashing and trying to run away on foot.

Spence was high on heroin, cocaine and cannabis at the time. She was slurring her speech and having trouble standing.

But she walked free from court after the judge was told she had not reoffended since, and is “a very different person now”.

“There will be concern amongst the wider public at what appear to be repeated incidents of sentencing that is lenient for road traffic offences,” said Ms Erskine.

“Admitting to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, having no insurance, and being in possession of heroin, yet receiving only a two-year probation order and a one-year driving ban, will raise eyebrows amongst people who have lost a loved one on our roads.

"At a time when Northern Ireland has already recorded 68 road deaths in 2024, the public expects a justice system that treats road traffic offences with the seriousness they warrant.

"Dangerous driving is not a victimless crime. It places lives at risk and undermines the safety of all road users.

"As chair of the Infrastructure Committee, I regularly hear from families and communities devastated by reckless driving. We need sentencing that reflects the severity of these actions and acts as a real deterrent.

"There is an urgent need for greater firmness in how such offences are dealt with. We owe it to victims, their families, and all law-abiding motorists to ensure that our roads are safer and that the consequences for endangering others are clear and robust.”

When it was put to the office of the Lady Chief Justice (the head of the judiciary) that some would consider the Spence sentence too lenient, it responded: “It is not appropriate for the Lady Chief Justice (outside her role as an appellate judge when a particular sentencing disposal is appealed before her or referred to the Court of Appeal on which she sits) to comment or express any opinion on a sentence handed down in an individual case.

"In relation to sentencing in general, the sentence imposed will depend on the specific circumstances in each case and a wide range of different factors will be considered.

"In calculating the appropriate sentence for a particular offence, the judge will consider all of the evidence provided to the court as well as the relevant statute and case law (legal principles emerging from earlier decided cases) including the maximum sentence which the court can impose, any sentencing guideline judgments relevant to the offence committed, whether the offender pleaded guilty, the level of culpability, the offender’s previous convictions, and any other aggravating or mitigating factors presented to the court by the prosecution and defence.

"The court may also take into account other evidence such as a victim statement, expert medical reports, and a pre-sentence report (prepared by the Probation Service about the offender and making a recommendation on possible sentencing disposals, although it is important to note that the court does not have to accept the recommendation).

“If the DPP considers the sentence to be too lenient, in certain circumstances, he has the power to refer it to the Court of Appeal for review.”