Man warned by Lisburn judge to ensure he is legally on the road from now on
A man has been told by a judge to ‘regard himself as lucky’ after he was fined and giving eight penalty points for a number of driving offences.
John Costello, 59, whose address was given as Broom Close, Dunmurry, appeared before Lisburn Magistrates Court charged with being an unaccompanied L driver, having no L plates displayed, using a motor vehicle without insurance, and making a false declaration to obtain insurance.
The court heard that on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, the defendant was observed driving a Ford Transit van on the Brians Well Road in Dunmurry.
Checks showed that he was the holder of a provisional driving licence, was unaccompanied, and did not have L plates displayed on the vehicle.
Further checks showed he had informed the insurance company that he had a full driving licence in order to obtain insurance.
A defence lawyer told the court the defendant had been disqualified from driving in January 2020 and had failed to reapply for his provisional driving licence until last year, passing his driving test in January 2025.
During sentencing, District Judge Rosie Watters said: “This is the third time he has done this since he was disqualified.
"He should regard himself as lucky and ensure he is always insured and legally on the road from now on.”
On the charge of having no insurance, Ms Watters endorsed the defendant’s driving licence with eight penalty points. She also imposed a fine of £250, and an offender’s levy of £15.
Ms Watters also imposed a fine of £100 on each of the other charges.