‘End of the line’ for Lisburn drug addict

Thomas William Downey (24) from Rushmore Grove, Lisburn, who was described at Lisburn Magistrates Court on Monday as a ‘drug addict,’ faced a number of drug and driving offences relating to a number of incidents over the past two years.

He was charged with driving whilst unfit through drink/drugs, using a motor vehicle without insurance, possessing class B and possessing class A controlled drugs following a driving incident on June 10 last year.

The court heard that he was seen driving erratically close to the Glenavy Road in a black Volkswagen Bora. When stopped by police he was asked if he had any insurance and he said ‘no mate I don’t have any.’

Cannabis was discovered down his trousers and he was also in possession of cocaine. When later questioned he admitted that he smoked a joint before driving that day.

On a separate occasion he was also charged with going equipped for theft, tampering with a motor vehicle, criminal damage, attempt to take motor vehicle without owners consent and possessing class B controlled drug on October 11, 2012

It followed an incident at Wallace Avenue where the defendant using a screwdriver was caught trying to steal and drive off in a Ford Fiesta.

When questioned by police he admitted that he was a regular smoker of cannabis which was used for his own use.

His solicitor who lodged an appeal said that he realised that things had come to a head for him. “This man is a drug addict, addicted to cannabis,” he said,

He went on to say that he had a very difficult background but that he was a person that would openly admit to his problems and face up to them.

District Judge Watters said that she had ‘no alternative’ but to jail him.

“When he is in prison everyone is safe,” she said. “I am duty bound to protect the public. Realistically he has reached the end of the line.”

The judge handed down 23 months in prison in relation to the incident at Wallace Avenue on October 10 2012. That included six months imprisonment for going equipped for theft, three months for tampering with a motor vehicle, six months for criminal damage, five months for attempting to take a car without the owners consent, and three months for possessing a Class B controlled drug.

In relation to driving whilst unfit through drink and drugs following the incident at the Glenavy Road he was disqualified from driving for one year and has to sit a driving test, he was also disqualified for a further year for using a motor without insurance and six months in prison for the possession of class B drug and class A controlled drug.

He also got a further three months imprisonment for a possession of controlled Class B drug relating to an incident on July 25, 2012