A drunk driver went over the limit four times when he crashed his car outside a primary school during pick-up.
artin higgins drifted onto the other lane seven weeks ago and crashed his car right in front of Ballymena Primary School.
At the time of the incident, hundreds of children were leaving the school gates before the end of the day. A judge said this was at least an aggravating factor.
The 44-year-old, who also admitted not having reported an accident, has already been given a provisional driving ban but will have to wait until December to learn his full fate.
SHEEPY: Martin Higgins at his door this week
When confronted outside his home, which is only a few hundred meters from the primary school, he declined to comment.
“I don’t want to comment on the lawsuit,” he said.
He confirmed he had not picked up any children at the time of the crash, adding: “It was just a bad day.”
But parents at school had more to say with one irate mother saying, “He’s a very selfish idiot.”
“What was he thinking about getting behind the wheel of a car when he had so much alcohol?” said the irate parent.
“It is unacceptable to do that at any time, but to do it and drive past a school where hundreds of young children are getting out is breathtaking.
“We knew there had been an accident near the school, but it wasn’t until we read about the details of the court online that we found out just how much he had overstepped the limit.
“He’s lucky he didn’t kill a child. In my opinion he is just a very selfish idiot.”
She says the courts should send him a strong signal if he is sentenced next month.
“He really should be sent to jail for this to deliver a message and set an example, but you can bet he won’t,” she said.
“Christmas is coming and we all know that people start taking risks and driving under the influence is on the rise.”
Higgins, of Ballymoney Road in Ballymena, admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol on Ballymoney Road and failed to report a collision at 3pm on Wednesday 28 September this year.
As reported in the Court News, NI Higgins had a breath alcohol count of 130 – the legal limit is 35.
A prosecutor told the Ballymena Magistrates’ Court that a two-vehicle collision occurred “immediately outside a primary school during collection time”.
Police saw that a woman’s vehicle was damaged and Higgins’s vehicle was also damaged, but he was not in it.
The female driver said she was stopped in traffic when Higgins’ van pulled into her lane and caused a collision.
She got out and approached him and smelled liquor from him.
She was able to give a description of the driver to the police who spoke to him 200 meters away from the scene of the accident.
District Judge Nigel Broderick issued a provisional driving ban, saying he wanted a police report because “anyone who drives with that amount of alcohol near a school on pick up, that’s an aggravating factor to say the least”.
The case was adjourned until December 15.