At approx 6.30pm on Saturday 1st May 2021, I was coming out of Enniskillen and stopped off at Dolan’s/Lilley’s Centra shop. I went to the wine shop in Centra and on my way to the counter I noticed a PSNI man in uniform behind me. He seemed to be watching me. I went up and paid for the bottle of wine and went out of the shop. A PSNI Police car was parked near the door with one officer sitting in the passenger side.
I drove out from the shop on to the main road and off in the direction of Lisnaskea. As I was driving out the road I noticed the police car in my rear-view mirror coming at some speed and passing out a car and then to drive behind my car. They sat behind me for a mile or so and when I rounded a number of turns, the police car siren went off and the roof lights flashed. I pulled in to the side of the main road and the PSNI officer approached my passenger side. I turned down the window.
“You crossed a white line and we need to check you out.” Or words to that effect.
I asked where this happened as I had no recollection of crossing any white lines.
He asked did I know why they pulled me over.
I said no but it seemed like harassment. He asked why I thought it was harassment. I said I had never been pulled over like this before and I did not understand why I was singled out from all the other cars on the road.
He said it was a routine check. The police can pull over anybody at any time.
I said I was a local priest and fairly well known in this area-and I thought it a bit strange that the police car that I saw parked at Dolan’s/Lilleys would follow me at such speed coming out of Enniskillen.
He said he never saw me before and did not know me.
He then asked:
‘Have you been drinking alcohol?’
I said ‘No’
‘Show me your Driving Licence?’
I gave him out my Licence through the window and he began writing down.
He talked to the other PSNI officer who was standing at the back of my car .
He came back and asked me again if I had been drinking alcohol.
I said ‘No’.
“Well”, he said, “We have no breathalyser with us but we have sent for one and it will be here shortly.”
I waited.
He came back to the window to tell me that one of my rear tyres was completely bald.
Just then, the other PSNI police car arrived and a police man and a police woman with the breathalyser.
There was a constant flow of traffic on the road.
The PSNI constable asked me to step out and blow into the breathalyser.
I did this.
He looked at it and said it showed Zero and that I was free to go on my way.
I went on after being there for about 15 or 20 minutes.
I thought the RUC was gone forever.
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