Drumahoe man jailed a for series of driving offences

Rory Mooney, 16 Aug


A man has been jailed at Derry Magistrate's Court today for a series of
driving offences.

Bradley Goldsmith (30) of Milltown View in Drumahoe outside Derry
admitted a series of driving charges that occurred in 2022, 2023 and
this year.

The court heard that in September 21 2022 the defendant was observed by
police driving through a red light at Creggan Road.

Police signalled the vehicle to stop and it eventually did and
Goldsmith was driving.

He was found to be driving while disqualified after a disqualification
in England.

The court also heard about offences on July 7, 2023 when police
received a report of a man who had bought a vehicle from Goldsmith and
claimed he had paid him £140 to tax it but thus had not been done.

It was accepted that Goldsmith had driven the vehicle despite being a
disqualified driver.

Finally the court heard about an incident on January 6 this year when
police observed Goldsmith driving past them with a defective light.

A check revealed he was driving without insurance.

Police pursued Goldsmith who drove the wrong way around a roundabout
and accelerated away.

When finally stopped Goldsmith initially gave false details but his
identity was ascertained.

He was also found to be a disqualified driver.

Defence counsel Michael Donaghey said that these were 'an unimpressive
series of offences'.

He said there had been no offending in the last seven months.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that the defendant had five
previous driving while disqualified one here and four in England.

He said that Goldsmith had been given a chance with probation on July
last year and had re-offended.

Goldsmith was sentenced to five months in prison and fined a total of
£650.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years.