Restaurant car crash man jailed

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A man who drove through a funeral cortege before crashing into a restaurant in County Fermanagh has been jailed for two and a half years.

Kevin Barry Slattery pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, not being insured, criminal damage and failure to report and remain at the scene.

Judge David McFarland said the 26-year-old's driving was one of the worst cases he had dealt with.

Slattery had over 240 previous convictions, 127 for traffic offences.

On 14 June, Slattery, from Rodgers Villas in Omagh, crashed his car into the Tullana on the Green restaurant in Lisnarick during Sunday lunch.

Omagh Crown Court heard that police had been alerted to a car being driven dangerously and when officers discovered the vehicle it was doing handbrake turns in and around the Cherrymount area.

The police then gave chase.

'Unsavoury driving'

Slattery, who was then reported to be travelling at speeds over 80 mph, came upon a funeral cortege near the Angelo Roundabout in Enniskillen.

Prosecuting lawyer Simon Reid said that police drew back from the chase but that Slattery, by now travelling in excess of 100 mph drove on towards the funeral, with up to 150 mourners being forced to jump to safety.

At this point the police lost Slattery's vehicle, but discovered it a short time later after it had crashed into the restaurant.

Defence lawyer Ian Turkington said he could say nothing about Slattery's driving as it was "crystal clear it was dangerous, very dangerous driving... and unsavoury" and that Slattery was lucky no one was seriously hurt.