Convicted for third insurance offence

David Coulter, Markethill Road, Portadown, was fined £300 and given eight penalty points.

For taking a vehicle without the consent of the owner he was fined £200 and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that on July 29 last year police stopped the defendant while he was driving on the Knock Road, Portadown.

He elected to produce his driving documents at Edward Street police station and he produced his licence.

However he was not covered on the policy of insurance for the vehicle which belonged to his son who said he had not given him permission to take the vehicle.

A barrister representing Coulter said that he didn’t think his son would mind if he had been insured. It was a genuine mistake on his part.

District Judge, Mr Peter King, said that given the defendant’s ‘lamentable record’ he should have been more careful and made his decision to drive uninsured for a third time inexplicable.

He added that Coulter had ten previous motoring convictions and should have known better from a previous disqualification.

The judge warned the defendant had driving without insurance carries the potential of imprisonment and if he offended again the court would run out of patience.