smashing paint job Pensioner smashes through shutter of paint shop after losing control of car

The Vauxhall Corsa smashed through the shutter of the store sending cans of paint skywards and causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

The scene at Clarke Decorate in Armagh after OAP Daniel Gribbon lost control of his car

The scene at Clarke Decorate in Armagh after OAP Daniel Gribbon lost control of his car

Jamie McDowell

February 23 2021 09:00 AM

This is the shocking aftermath of a smash in which an octogenarian accidentally careered through the front shutter and window of a high-end decorative paint shop.

The Vauxhall Corsa smashed through the shutter of the store sending cans of paint skywards and causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

When questioned by the police after the incident, Daniel Francis Gribbon – who’s now 86 – said that he had been driving the car but couldn’t figure out why the accident had happened.

He had told police that he’d tried to apply the brakes while he was driving along Scotch Street in Armagh city on October 27, 2019, but that the brakes failed to work and his pressing the pedal was not slowing the car down.

It is understood that as the car careered out of control, Mr Gribbon may have accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

The scene at Clarke Decorate in Armagh after OAP Daniel Gribbon lost control of his car

The hatchback vehicle went straight through the shutters and the front window of Clarke Decorate, which specialises in decorative paint, fabrics, wallpapers, primers, tools and accessories.

These images show the utter devastation caused to both the shop and Mr Gribbon’s car which was damaged and completely covered in paint during the crash.

Fortunately, the shop was closed at the time but cost of the devastation came to over £200,000.

This week at Newry Magistrates Court Mr Gribbon, of Messancy Place in the city, entered a plea of guilty through his lawyer to driving without due care and attention.

Officers said they attended the scene to find the front of the shop damaged, glass all over the floor and the alarm sounding.

They found Mr Gribbon’s Corsa inside the building and spoke with the driver at the scene, who appeared to be in a state of shock.

It was also reported later that there had been damage to a Volkswagen Golf on Linenhall Street as a result of the incident.

The court heard how Mr Gribbon, who had a long career as psychiatric nurse, went to see his GP after the accident and surrendered his licence voluntarily.

Mr Gribbon’s lawyer said his client had an “unblemished” 50-year driving record.

The scene at Clarke Decorate in Armagh after OAP Daniel Gribbon lost control of his car

Deputy District Judge Philip Mateer disqualified Mr Gribbon from driving for 12 months until he is retested. He also ordered him to pay a fine of £150 and the offender’s levy of £15.

Conor Coulter for the defence said: “There is very little explanation. This was an automatic vehicle and perhaps he had been pressing on the accelerator as opposed to the brake.

“He rarely leaves the house now. His meals are delivered to him due to the pandemic. This vehicle was wrote off. He is without a car and has no call to drive.”

Judge Mateer stated on sentencing: “I take into account his guilty plea and the fact he has been driving for 50-odd years with an unblemished record.

“It is a shame that given his service to the community through his job and his driving career that it had to come to an end like this, but at 84 years of age, he had a good length of time on the road.”