Woman who drove on pavement while on cocktail of drugs avoids jail

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard Orla Judge, 27, was behind the wheel of a car which swerved across roads and mounted a pavement.

She received a two-month suspended sentence after her lawyer revealed that the vehicle has now been seized and auctioned.

Judge, of Edenderry Village in the city, was convicted of careless driving and two counts of driving when unfit through drink or drugs.

On June 15 last year a police patrol on the Hillhall Road in Lisburn spotted her Volkswagen Tiguan veering over the road, almost colliding with a kerb several times.

Crown lawyer Stephanie Boyd said officers could smell cannabis coming from the car as they approached it.

When Judge got out of the vehicle she was unsteady on her feet, her speech was slurred and she smelt of the drug.

Blood samples revealed the presence of cannabis, diazepam and other prescription medications.

While on bail for that incident she was seen reversing out of the grounds of Belfast Castle and driving off along Strathmore Park North in the early hours of October 8.

Police followed and observed the car driving on the opposite side of the road, exiting a junction without slowing down.

“The vehicle swerved to the right and mounted the pavement before stopping,” Mrs Boyd said.

The mother-of-one was again unsteady on her feet, rocking back and forwards and unable to form complete sentences.

She admitted being on drugs at the time.

Defence counsel Eoin Macdonald acknowledged: “She is extremely fortunate that neither of these incidents resulted in any collision.

“There were obviously a few near misses, and some horrific driving, but neither involved any interference with any persons, property or accidents.”

He told the court Judge has a heavy reliance on prescription drugs for mental health issues.

But the barrister stressed: “She does not have access to a car anymore. The car in question was seized and auctioned.”

Judge Liam McStay told the defendant the offences were so serious she could be going to custody.

“You get detected driving while unfit on the first occasion, then within a matter of months you are committing very similar offences and posing enormous danger to yourself and the general public,” he said.

“What is concerning is... you are using drugs under prescription as well as not under prescription. You do need to deal with that.”

Suspending the prison term for 12 months, Mr McStay also banned her from driving for two years and imposed £300 in fines.