Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Killer driver given extra six months
Man in court for previous offences
A CAREER criminal, who last month killed a mum of two in a stolen car, was yesterday given a consecutive six-month sentence for “being unlawfully at large”.
Martin Alexander Nelson, who has 238 previous convictions, has admitted causing Lisa Gow’s death by dangerous driving.
The 39-year-old had, just days earlier, had his bail varied over his failure to return to jail and for resisting a constable.
Nelson was being pursued by police on April 19 on the Ballysillan Road in North Belfast in an Audi A4 he had stolen the night before.
He struck another car before hitting the young mum, who had just dropped off her two children at school.
No details of the fatal accident were given at Belfast Crown Court yesterday other than Nelson, from Ardoyne Road in the north of the city, was already in custody on remand in respect of another matter. However, solicitor Pearse Mcdermott said later his client’s admissions were a matter of record.
Earlier prosecutor Simon Jenkins told Recorder Judge David Mcfarland that Nelson had been previously given a 15-month jail term, to be followed by 27 months on licenced parole, for burglary and driving offences.
In late October last year he was given temporary leave from Magilligan, but failed to return at the appointed time.
Police later contacted him by mobile phone only to be told he was with his girlfriend and would return the following day.
When he didn’t he was traced to his parent’s home where he was detained. While being arrested he resisted police.
Defence barrister Luke Curran said Nelson had been at large for 36 hours and 50 minutes for which he had already paid a heavy penalty within the prison system, including the loss of further release days.