A Tyrone man who claimed his foot slipped off the clutch which resulted in his car spinning on the road has had his claim dismissed as “nonsense” by a judge.

During a contest at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday, a police officer said they had seen a car doing “half a doughnut” in the road at the junction of Wellington Road and Henry Street in Enniskillen.

The officer said she observed this motion in what she believed was mid-manoeuvre as the car completed a full circle.

However, Adam Porter (20), of Glenelly Road, Plumbridge, Co. Tyrone, who was contesting a dangerous driving charge, said his foot had slipped off the clutch as he was driving around the junction on November 13, 2021.

When this case was put to the officer as well as the fact it had been raining that evening and the road was damp, the officer said they were able to drive their vehicle safely at the junction.

Incident

During his evidence, Porter said he had been down in Enniskillen visiting friends and was coming back through the town when the incident occurred.

Porter said he was at the red light and when it changed he drove off and was halfway through the junction when his foot slipped and the car spun.

When asked by his solicitor, Michael Fahy, about the allegation of doing a doughnut, Porter said: “I didn’t mean to do it, it was a mistake,” and his foot slipped off the clutch.

The prosecution asked Porter what speed he would have been doing when turning at the junction to which he replied about five or 10mph.

A second police officer also gave brief evidence of how, when signalled to pull over, Porter had indicated to turn left from Ann Street onto Queen Street but had instead gone straight across onto Darling Street.

In their submissions, the prosecution said the officer was candid in her statement about what she saw, while Mr. Fahy pointed out that the other officer in the car did not see Porter’s car doing a doughnut, and that the charge of dangerous driving could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

‘Nonsense’

However, District Judge Steven Keown said Porter’s reason that he went from a stationary start at the junction and was travelling at 5-10mph when his foot slipped off the clutch, causing the car to turn 180 degrees, is “clearly nonsense”.

He said Porter was doing it to show off to mates in the car, like on a previous occasion when he received a warning from police.

Taking into account the location and lack of other road users or public close by, Judge Keown ruled that it was driving without due care and attention, rather than dangerous driving.

Alongside driving without due care and attention, Porter was also convicted him of having no ‘R’ plate displayed, and Porter was handed three penalty points and a total of £600 in fines.