Three children who were playing on a footpath ended up trapped under a car during a "horrendous incident" in Belfast, a court has heard.
A man accused of a number of motoring offences left the scene without checking on the children, climbed a fence and was discovered by police in a taxi, Belfast Magistrates' Court was also told.
Thomas Maughan, from Black Ridge Gardens in Belfast, appeared in the dock charged with driving with excess alcohol, causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop, failing to remain and failing to report where an accident occurred causing injury.
A PSNI constable told the court that she could connect the 37-year-old to the charges.
Following a defence application for bail, she said that shortly after 5pm on Sunday, police had responded to a report of a collision in the Black Ridge View area of Belfast.
A woman told them that her two children and their friend were playing on the footpath when a car reversed over them and the driver made off and returned to another address.
The officer told the court that police visited the address but the motorist was not present.
She said the three children were taken to hospital suffering "potentially serious injuries".
The constable said that police at the scene were notified by a member of the public that the suspected driver was in a taxi at the end of the street which was blocked by emergency service vehicles.
He was arrested at the scene.
"There was clear CCTV of the incident which shows the defendant getting into the car, driving directly over the three children who are sat on the footpath," the officer said.
"They are then trapped under his vehicle. The defendant reverses back over them, parking up his vehicle and returning to his address without checking on the welfare of the children.
"It then shows him jumping the back fence of the property immediately after the incident."
PSNI objection to bail
The officer said that Mr Maughan had made full admissions during police interview to being the motorist and to driving with excess alcohol.
She said that one of the victims had suffered a fractured pelvis in what she described as "a horrendous incident".
Setting out police objections to bail, the officer said: "He was intoxicated through alcohol, but also the fact he has made off from the scene without checking the welfare (of the children), it could have been a much worse incident considering what happened.
"He showed a complete disregard for public safety while driving while intoxicated."
She said police believed releasing him on bail would result in a risk to the public and to Mr Maughan’s own safety.
A defence lawyer told the court that a young boy had been lying flat on the footpath and two girls were drawing around him with chalk.
He said that his client got into his car, drove a small distance and could not see the children.
"He hears the screaming and immediately reverses. It is very clear, if he hadn’t reversed the vehicle that young boy would be dead today," the lawyer said.
The lawyer added that by reversing his car, Mr Maughan had allowed the boy to get up.
Regarding the CCTV footage, he said: "It is awful footage, I have watched it. It is very difficult viewing."
The lawyer said his client had left the scene because be believed his presence there was a distraction.
The issue in the case, he added, would be the standard of driving and whether it amounted to careless or dangerous driving.
The solicitor said that Mr Maughan’s family were in court.
The judge said it was an "appalling set of facts" and refused bail.
Mr Maughan is to appear in court again on 23 September.
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