Children left trapped under car after being struck

Three children were left trapped under a car after being hit in an alleged drink-driving incident in west Belfast at the weekend, a court has heard.

The children, two girls and a boy, were taken to hospital after the incident in Black Ridge View on Sunday evening. Police told Belfast Magistrates’ Court one of them had sustained a fractured pelvis.

37 year old Thomas Maughan, of Black Ridge Gardens in Belfast, appeared before the court on Tuesday.

He is charged with driving with excess alcohol in breath, causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop, report and remain where an accident occurred.

Mr Maughan spoke only to confirm he understood the charges against him.

A police officer told the court that she could connect the accused to the charges.

The court heard that police were called to Black Ridge View at around 17:10 BST on Sunday.

On arrival they spoke with the mother of one of the three children involved, who alleged the children were struck as they were playing on the pavement outside their house and that the driver of the car left the scene on foot without checking on the children.

The officer said there was “clear CCTV of the incident” that showed the accused driving directly over the children. She said the footage then showed the children trapped under the vehicle.

The police said the accused reversed back over them, parked up his vehicle and returned to his address “without checking on the welfare of the children”.

While emergency services tended to the children, police officers located the man believed to have been driving, who was in a taxi at the end of the street which was blocked due to emergency vehicles.

An initial breath test confirmed that he was over the legal drink-drive limit.

The court heard that when he was arrested and taken for questioning, Mr Maughan admitted the offences.

The police officer described the ordeal as a “horrendous incident”, adding that one of the children was seriously injured having sustained a fractured pelvis.

The officer said the accused showed a “complete disregard” for the children due to the fact he made off without checking on them and was also intoxicated through alcohol, posing a risk to the public should bail be granted.

“They should have been safe,” she added.

Mr Maughan’s solicitor described the CCTV footage as “awful” and said it made “difficult viewing”.

The solicitor told the court that the children were “lying down on the pavement drawing round each other with chalk” when the collision happened, claiming his client may not have seen them.

He also made the claim that Mr Maughan reversed a second time after hearing the children screaming, which “freed the children”.

The solicitor said the footage also shows the mother of one of the children coming out of her house and there was an exchange of words with the accused before he left the scene.

The judge told the court that “an appalling set of alleged facts” had been made.

The defence solicitor made an application for bail which the judge denied.

The case will be mentioned in court again on 23 September.