Man was caught driving a Mercedes in Lurgan with four unrestrained children including a five-month-old baby in the vehicle, Craigavon court hears
A man who had four unrestrained children in his car, including a five-month-old baby, has been banned from driving with the judge concerned there was no reciprocal arrangement with Spain.
The 30-year-old defendant failed to appear before Craigavon Magistrates Court.
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Medzhnur Mehmedov, of Union Street, Lurgan, pleaded guilty to multiple charges via his solicitor, Mr Harry McCourt.
He was accused of having no insurance, four counts of carrying a child under the age of 14 without a seatbelt and using a vehicle, a Mercedes, to carry too many passengers on February 16 this year.
He was also accused of having no insurance on February 7 this year.
The court heard that on February 16 this year, police were carrying out routine patrols in Union Street, Lurgan when their attention was drawn to a Mercedes.
When the vehicle pulled over, officers saw three young children ‘clearly under the age of 12’ sitting in the back of the vehicle without any kind of restraint.
"Also in the back of the vehicle was a female who was holding a five-month-old baby. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and there was nothing around the five-month old child,” said a prosecutor, adding police checks showed the defendant wasn’t insured to drive the vehicle.
The prosecutor revealed that the defendant had been stopped seven days prior to this at Church Place, Lurgan, and didn’t have insurance documents.
Mr McCourt said: “It’s not acceptable to have all those children in that car unrestrained.”
He said his client has four children aged five, three, 18 months old and six months old.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan asked if consideration had been given to prosecuting the mother who was holding the baby unrestrained.
A prosecutor replied ‘no’ and Mr McCourt revealed that the family has since moved to Spain.
The solicitor said his client was working in a factory in Lisburn and for Uber as a driver “which he won’t be able to do after today”.
Mr McCourt said his client is a student of business management, studying at a college in England.
"Whilst he was here he was travelling back and forth to do a certain amount of days per year. He will still be doing that, going back and forth from Spain to the UK,” said Mr McCourt.
He said there was some prevarication by his client on dealing with the matter as he was concerned about losing his licence in the UK.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan asked if there is a reciprocal arrangement with Spain as there is with the Irish Republic but was told there isn’t one.
"It has to be a significant disqualification today. The major concern of the court is not the no insurance, it is the unrestrained children. A baby on its mother’s knee along with other young children has to attract a significant disqualification.”
For the no insurance on February 7 the defendant was given a six months driving ban.
For all the offences dated February 16 he was given a nine months driving ban.
“It’s unfortunate there isn’t a reciprocal arrangement with Spain. This man should not be capable of driving a car with children in it,” said the district judge who also fined the defendant £70 for each offence plus the £15 offender levy.