Court call for car dealer issue to be investigated

A 26-year-old man who denied he was driving without insurance because he was using a trade policy was convicted of the offence last Thursday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

And when he was told there was another case in the pipeline involving the same car dealer District Judge Eamonn King said he thought the matter should be investigated.

Paul Daniel Bingham, Bambrick Terrace, Banbridge, was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and given eight points for driving without insurance on February 14 this year.

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Fines of £100 were imposed for having a defective windscreen and having a defective light.

For driving while unable to have a full view of the road on February 1 he was fined £100. He was also ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that on February 1 he had been driving on the Scarva Road, Banbridge, and the windscreen had been cracked by a golf ball.

The offences on February 14 happened in Bridge Street, Banbridge, and were contested with Bingham’s solicitor saying they could be decided on the papers.

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He added that his client was driving on a trade policy although he accepted he told police that it was his vehicle.

The solicitor said Bingham was now saying that this was inaccurate and he had been delivering the vehicle for a car dealer.

A public prosecutor said that on February 1 when Bingham was stopped the trade policy was accepted but on February 14 he said he had owned the vehicle a couple of days.

Judge King was told there was another similar case involving the same car dealer in the court and he said this should be investigated.

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He added that what was actually said first was the most truthful and he convicted the defendant.

Bingham’s solicitor said there were relevant entries on his record but that this was slightly different from the normal no insurance cases which came before the court.

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