A gardening fanatic from Tattyreagh, who claims to possess a 30-year incident-free clean record in the grass-cutting trade, has received a suspended sentence at Omagh County Court for mowing straight over an 81-year old who was returning from her daily shopping expedition in the local confectionery store after buying the Irish News and three Paris Buns.

Carlito McCabe (41) admitted to trusting a faulty Sat-Nav he had recently purchased to speed up his mowing after receiving three big jobs recently for wealthy garden owners. On the third garden, McCabe’s device insisted he follow its advice and mow straight through a hedge onto the main road where he met the oblivious Mary McGarron:

“The Sat-Nav had been faultless til then. I’d mowed a 3-acred garden the previous day to perfection using the TomTom 2.6 Landscaper Extreme. It did cross my mind that mowing clean through a hedge was unconventional but I had no need to distrust the device.”

Mrs McGarron, who was hospitalised with a shave burns, revealed how the ordeal left her with a fear of mowers:

“I’ve walked that road for 80 years and never once has a lawn mower appeared from a hedge and ridden over the top of me. Any time I hear a cutting device now I duck under the nearest object.”

McCabe’s defence suggested that a hedge grown without permission was at fault, making it impossible for the Sat-Nav to suggest a u-turn before clattering into the pensioner, to which the judge replied ‘I dunno’.