Rogue Sunderland motorist jailed after string of South Shields driving offences

Craig Merrigan, from Sunderland, was handed a 10-week jail term after a court decided the South Shields crimes were “so serious” because of the “defendant’s record of previous convictions”.

Merrigan, 33, admitted driving a BMW 3 Series car in the town’s Honeysuckle Avenue while over the legal alcohol limit.

He also pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance in the same street.

In addition, Merrigan admitted a fifth charge of failing to stop driving when required by a police officer to do so in Boldon Lane.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard all five offences took place on March 14.

As well as the jail term, Merrigan, of no fixed address, was also banned from driving for three years and must pay a £122 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs at a rate of £10 per fortnight from the start of February next year.

The sentence follows just a week after he was imprisoned for 12 months at Newcastle Crown Court after he admitted committing three separate offences in less than a fortnight.

Merrigan, whose address at this earlier case was given as Noble Street, Sunderland, slapped and pushed his girlfriend to the ground before starting to strangle her in an attack at an address in South Shields on April 26.

Just four days later, at a separate property in the town, he left a friend of one of his exes bruised after he pushed her to the floor during a visit to her home on April 30.

He pleaded guilty to assault in relation to the first attack, common assault in connection to the second and also admitted committing affray on April 19 after arming himself with a knife following a drinking session.

Vic Laffey, mitigating at the crown court case, said Merrigan had sought help to tackle his problems while remanded in custody and was "overwhelmed" at the time he committed the April offences.

Judge Edward Bindloss described the crimes as "frightening outbursts" and set against a background of mental health issues.

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