Agency nurse described as a 'vital worker' by Craigavon judge who gave him a two-day driving ban for insurance offence
An agency nurse who works across Northern Ireland has been described as a “vital worker” by a Craigavon judge who gave him a two-day driving ban for a motor insurance offence.
Trymore Sithole Kabatebate, aged 46, from Bocombra Hill, Portadown appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to permitting the use of a vehicle without insurance.
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The court heard that on Thursday, August 14 last year at 12.45am, police stopped a white Mercedes C250 on Church Road, Portadown.
Another man was the driver and the defendant was a front seat passenger and confirmed he owned the vehicle. Police checks showed the other man was not insured to drive this vehicle but was driving with the defendant’s permission.
Kabatebate’s barrister, Ms Ciara Ennis, explained that the co-accused believed his own insurance permitted him to drive the defendant’s car but it didn’t.
Ms Ennis said her client is a British national who has been living in Northern Ireland since the start of this year and works as a full time agency nurse across all of Northern Ireland including “Derry, Omagh and the City Hospital”.
"I would respectfully submit he is an essential worker,” said Ms Ennis.
She said that on the day in question her client was travelling home from Birmingham.
“He has problems with his liver and requires treatment and medication from the hospital in Birmingham and had arranged for his friend to give him a lift. His friend had trouble with his own car which was fully insured and Mr Kabatebate told him to take his car.”
"He thought his insurance covered him. It seems it was a very honest mistake made by both parties,” said the barrister, pointing out her client’s difficulty with six live points on his licence.
"I would respectfully submit that the nature of his work means that if he is unable to work there will be other people losing out,” said Ms Ennis, who added that if her client received six points today it would mean an automatic six months disqualification and urged the district judge to consider a shorter ban.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said Kabatebate is “clearly a vital worker” and banned him from driving for two days plus fined him £100 and the offender levy of £15.