Ballycastle sex pest Sean McCullough, who caused a three-car crash while under the influence of drugs, has been jailed
Sean McCullough was struggling to stay awake and unable to walk without help when he was found
Judge Alistair Devlin ordered Sean McCullough to serve half of that sentence in prison and the other half on a driving license, telling the 56-year-old that he had a “pretty appalling” driving record and that he had done so by Choosing to get behind the wheel of his rental car that day showed a “complete disregard for the lives and safety of other road users.”
The judge at Antrim Crown Court said McCullough had been given 13 suspended sentences for committing 28 offenses over the last two decades and had “finally crossed the custody threshold”.
McCullough, of Drumawillin Park, Ballycastle, had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving on Frosses Road while unfit through drink or drugs on April 20 last year.
The 56-year-old, who is also a convicted sex predator who slapped an EasyJet cabin crew’s bottom, was due to be sentenced last month but had a warrant issued for his arrest after he “flew to Portugal”. “to visit friends and family.
Today McCullough appeared in court via videolink from Maghaberry Prison, where Judge Devlin told how a man had been driving his Audi A4 station wagon along Frosses Road, about a mile from the Drones Road junction and towards Ballymena, when he saw one white Kia spotted Sportage “crossing the center line” as it approached him.
He managed to swerve and avoid a head-on collision, but the movement of the Kia was so great that it crashed into the driver’s side with such force that the Audi station wagon was spun 180 degrees.
Meanwhile, the Kia, with McCullough behind the wheel, continued to drive and crashed into a silver Vauxhall Astra, which had been behind the Audi, before coming to a stop on the grass verge.
All three vehicles, the judge said, were so badly damaged that they were all written off by insurance, and the people in the other cars suffered whiplash, neck and back injuries.
Judge Devlin said police who arrived at the scene spoke to McCullough, who was “slurring his words, struggling to stay awake and unable to walk without assistance” and despite passing a preliminary breath test a blood sample was sent for analysis.
That analysis, the judge said, revealed the presence of a variety of illegal and prescription drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, pregabalin and diazepam.
Judge Devlin said McCullough himself admitted that he had taken alcohol and drugs at a house party in Ballymena the night before and only slept for an hour before “starting the morning with a bottle of cider and cocaine before deciding to follow suit.” to go home to Ballycastle”. ” later the same day.
While McCullough showed “complete disregard” for other road users, the people in the cars he hit had to undergo physical therapy, suffered panic and anxiety attacks and had to take time off work.
Judge Devlin said it was an example of McCullough’s driving behavior and attitude that his convictions included several entries for dangerous driving, negligent and reckless driving, five for drink driving, ten for no insurance, eight for driving while disqualified and a host of others Offenses included lights, exhausts and broken tires.
In fact, the judge revealed that McCullagh had been arrested on his 10th offense of not having insurance just four months after he caused a multiple accident at a notorious accident hotspot, the “main artery for high-speed services between Belfast and the North Coast”.
In addition to the 20-month prison sentence, Judge Devlin also imposed a five-year driving ban.
