MAN WHO PLOUGHED INTO 15 PEOPLE JAILED
BELFAST DRIVER WAS TRAVELLING AT TWICE THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT
A MAN who ploughed into an RTE film crew in Belfast after losing control of his car while driving at over double the speed limit has been jailed.
Hugh McGrattan, from Whiterock Drive, Belfast, was given four years and eight months’ jail after he admitted five counts of causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving.
Her Honour Judge McCaffrey told the defendant he would spend half the sentence in custody and half on licence.
The west Belfast man was also banned from driving for five years.
McGrattan, who was driving at speeds of up to 69mph in an 30mph zone, struck a kerb, then collided with a group of around 15 people on a footpath on the Falcon Road-Apollo Road area of south Belfast on November 30, 2015. The five-strong RTE film crew suffered serious injuries.
At the time of the collision, the road was lit both by street lights and lighting from the film crew, and those involved in the documentary were all wearing high-visibility clothing.
During yesterday’s sentencing at Belfast Crown Court, Judge McCaffrey spoke of the impact the incident has had on those affected, particularly a then-19year-old who at the time was running her own performing arts and dance business. She is now in a wheelchair.
Describing the victim’s spinal injuries as “life-changing”, Judge McCaffrey said that since the incident the woman has had to give up her career and now lives with her mother, who sold her house and bought a bungalow more suitable for her daughter.
The judge also spoke of the effect the crash has had on other injured parties, including a cameraman who was unable work for six months after the incident, and another male victim who can no longer play sport because of his injuries.
Belfast Crown Court heard that while 25-year-old McGrat- tan admitted at the scene that he had been speeding, he believed the victims also shared some responsibility because he felt there should have been signs in the area highlighting their presence.
On the evening in question, McGrattan drove past the film crew while showing a friend where Adelaide train halt was. On the return journey, McGrattan’s silver Skoda Fabia, which was being driven at speed, failed to negotiate a bend, causing him to lose control.
All those who saw the incident said the car was speeding when it hit a kerb, mounted a foot- path and then ploughed into the group of around 15 people.
One woman described how she saw the car drive straight at the pedestrians. She added it was “like a bowling ball” when the vehicle struck the group.
Another witness said the car was “like a snow plough, with people being swept away”.
CCTV footage indicated that at one point McGrattan was travelling between 52mph and 69mph in a 30mph area.
During sentencing, Judge McCaffrey said he showed a “total disregard for other road users”, was “not paying attention to the potential hazards” and was “travelling too fast to take the corner safely.”
The judge accepted there were mitigating factors, including the fact that McGrattan stayed at the scene and offered assistance to the wounded, that he had displayed remorse and had a lack of relevant convictions. But she said a prison sentence was “appropriate”.