Limavady man's 'sneezing fit led to £37k damage'

A man overcome by a fit of sneezing while driving crashed into a hair dressing salon and caused £37,000 of damage a court has heard.

Dermot O'Hara, 20, of Seacoast Road in Limavady, was charged with careless driving on 30 March.

He told police he had stopped at lights and when they changed he had driven off but was overcome with a fit of sneezing which caused him to crash.

A judge told O'Hara he was "in the last chance saloon" and fined him £300.

He also gave him six penalty points.

Defence solicitor Peter Jack told Limavady Magistrates Court that O'Hara had been driving his father's car, which was very powerful.

The solicitor said that he had talked to his client about what might have happened had the crash happened earlier in the day when more people were in the area.

The judge said he was concerned about the inexperience shown by O'Hara and asked why he did not simply stop.