Driving erratically and doing a handbrake turn on Main Street in Irvinestown has led to an appearance before Fermanagh Magistrates Court and a three month driving ban for a Dromore man.

Appearing before the court charged with driving without due care and attention was Dean John Patrick Connelly (27) from Muldoon Park in Dromore.

The court heard that on 9th September last year, around 3.50am, an off-duty police officer observed a grey BMW car driving erratically along the Enniskillen road in Irvinestown.

The car was revving loudly and the driver swerved several times before performing a handbrake turn in the Main Street. The car then continued to drive around Irvinestown at speed squealing tyres and smoking the rear wheels.

The off-duty officer took the car's registration details and later uniformed officers called at the defendant's address where he admitted, upon questioning, that he had been driving the car on the night in question.

Defending, Mr McCaffrey described his client as a digger driver. The solicitor said his client could offer no explanation for his driving on the night in question and said this type of driving was 'out of character' for the defendant.

Resident Magistrate Liam McNally said he could understand the temptation to do a handbrake turn in a car park, while not condoning it in any way.

But to pull a manoeuvre such as this on the Main Street in Irvinestown was a very serious matter.

Mr McNally fined the defendant £300 and disqualified him from driving for three months.

Upon an application by Mr McCaffrey bail was set to appeal the sentence of £300.