A banned motorist was remanded in custody today accused of ramming two police cars during a cross-county bout of dangerous drink-driving.
Curtis Tanner also allegedly crashed through barriers at Belfast International Airport before he was arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The 34-year-old, of Loughside Drive in Ballynahinch, Co Down, is charged with a total of 16 motoring offences.
He appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court to face counts of dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol and while disqualified, failing to stop for police and failing to remain at the scene of an accident causing damage.
Officers were first alerted to a suspected drink driver in a Ford Focus at Annalong Marine Park in Newry on Wednesday night.
The car was said to have swerved over the road and gone through a red light. A member of the public claimed it had struck a wall and been badly damaged.
Less than an hour later the vehicle was detected in the Grosvenor Road area of Belfast. The court heard it was allegedly driven into two PSNI vehicles, with officers sustaining minor injuries in the collisions.
Police claimed the Ford Focus then travelled to the International Airport and struck barriers in the short-stay car park.
The car was next sighted in the Antrim area where it failed to stop for officers near the Junction One retail park.
During a subsequent pursuit, it crashed into the Dublin Road roundabout before coming to a halt.
Tanner was arrested at the scene and failed a preliminary breath test.
District Judge Steven Keown heard the accused is currently disqualified from driving for a 10-year period.
Defence lawyer Owen Beattie acknowledged it was a “difficult” case, but argued that Tanner still has an address available to him.
Refusing bail, Mr Keown cited the potential risk of harm to the public.
He told the solicitor: “It is a completely hopeless application, but you could say no more on behalf of your client.”
Tanner was remanded in custody to appear again by video-link on July 21.
Source: belfasttelegraph
