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Woman on careless driving causing death charges ‘not fit to face court'

Lawyers for Claire Gough have told court she is not fit to enter a plea
Lawyers for Claire Gough have told court she is not fit to enter a plea Lawyers for Claire Gough have told court she is not fit to enter a plea

A WOMAN facing charges of careless driving causing death is not fit to face court, her lawyer told a court yesterday.

Mark Farrell told Craigavon Crown Court he had two expert psychiatric reports which shared the view that 23-year-old Claire Gough was neither fit to plea nor fit to stand trial.

Gough, from the Tartaraghan Road, is charged with causing the death of Katherine Kelly by driving carelessly and while unfit through drink or drugs on November 3 2012 and three further allegations of causing grievous bodily injury to three other individuals in the crash on the Armagh Road in Portadown.

Miss Kelly was just 21 when she sustained fatal injuries in the crash. It was also reported at the time that Gough herself was also in a "critical condition" as a result of the crash.

Previous courts have heard that Gough sustained an "acquired brain injury" in the impact.

She was due to have the charges put to her yesterday at her arraignment but that was adjourned.

Prosecuting lawyer Nicola Auret said given the case is a "very serious matter involving a fatality," the Public Prosecution Service would be seeking to obtain their own psychiatric report and asked the defence if their client would consent to being examined.

After the defence agreed to the request judge Patrick Lynch QC adjourned the case to 27 January for review.