An elderly Newtonstewart landlady has been jailed for 6 months after she appeared in Strabane Magistrate's Court on her fifth drink driving charge and her second driving whilst disqualified charge.
Nancy Gallagher, a 63- year-old widower from Baronscourt Road in Newtonstewart was sentenced after police received reports of her black Corsa driving erratically on the Baronscourt Road on the 28th December last year. Police later visited Gallagher i
n her home and upon inspection of her car they found that the engine was still hot signalling that it had been recently driven. After questioning Gallagher police officers noticed that her speech was slurred and her breath smelt strongly of alcohol.
In a formal police interview she made a full admission to driving whilst unfit and accepted that she had a difficulty with alcohol since the death of her husband.
Gallagher has been the sole licensee of a public house in Newtonstewart after he husband of 18 years died some time ago.
RM Liam McNally expressed his reservations about sending the woman to prison but said that there would be “public uproar” if he did not impose a custodial sentence and Gallagher later took a car out on the road whilst drunk and killed someone or herself.
“She has appeared before the court on four previous occasions,” he said.
“I have no doubt that Mrs Gallagher is a well respected woman in her community... It gives me no pleasure at all as I look down at her to impose a custodial sentence.”
The full article contains 256 words and appears in Journal Friday DER Edition newspaper.
