Fine and ban for Coleraine man

A FORMER taxi driver from Coleraine has been fined and disqualified from driving for using a mobile phone while driving.

Leonard McGraw (50) of Clifton Park was stopped by police on the Cloyfin Road in Coleraine on May 3 this year.

He was cautioned for the offence, but was unable to take a fixed penalty notice as he already had nine points on his driving licence.

A defence solicitor told the court that his client had meant to turn in to answer his phone when it rang, but he said McGraw lifted the phone before he had stopped the car, and the police were behind him.

The solicitor said that driving was essential for the father of four, to enable him to see his children who live in Garvagh with their mother.

He added that McGraw had a medical complaint which resulted in him having to visit in GP in Garvagh once a week.

Referring to his driving record, the solicitor added that McGraw had been a taxi driver for some 19 years and had picked up the discrepancies in his record from his job.

District Judge Richard Wilson warned McGraw about his record saying: “ You haven’t covered yourself in glory over the years.”

McGraw was fined 100 and disqualified from driving for one month.

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