Lisburn man drove BMW without licence or insurance on July 12, court hears
A Lisburn man has been banned from the roads for six months and given a one-month suspended prison sentence for driving offences.
James Christopher Thompson, 39, whose address was given as Wardsborough Road in Lisburn, appeared before the city’s magistrates court charged with having no driving licence, using a vehicle without insurance, and making a false declaration to obtain a certificate of insurance.
The court heard that on July 12, 2024 at 00.45 police observed a BMW on the Belfast Road in Lisburn.
Officers stopped the vehicle and spoke with the defendant.
Checks showed the defendant had been disqualified from driving for six months and had not reapplied for his driving licence at the end of the period of disqualification.
The insurance company confirmed wasn’t driving with valid insurance.
A defence lawyer told the court: “He said he had applied to DVA but the licence hadn’t come through. He would have been entitled to drive and would have had insurance.
"He accepts he is technically guilty of these offences.”
District Judge Rosie Watters disqualified the defendant from driving for six months on each of the offences.
On the charge of having no driving licence, Ms Watters imposed a fine of £50, and an offender’s levy of £15.
On the charge of no insurance, she imposed a fine of £250, and on the charge of making a false declaration to obtain insurance, Ms Watters imposed a custodial sentence of one month, which she suspended for a period of 18 months.
She allowed the defendant 26 weeks to pay the fines.