Hefty fine for man who 'took a chance'

A COLERAINE man has been warned to 'wise up' following a court appearance last Friday.

Colm Martin Higgins (43) of Quilly Road, came before District Judge Richard Wilson at North Antrim Magistrates’ Court on number of driving charges including driving without insurance, failing to display ‘L’ plates, driving without an accompanying driver and taking a vehicle without permission.

Court heard that Higgins was stopped on the Greenhall Highway in Coleraine on October 22 last year, at 6.40am.

He was driving a white van, and when stopped by officers, he was unable to produce a licence or insurance for the vehicle. He admitted to police that he was a provisional licence holder, and that the van belonged to someone else.

Higgins’s solicitor told the court that the father of three, had been disqualified from driving last January, and that his disqualification had expired. The solicitor added that his client was still an ‘L’ driver, as he had not completed a driving test again.

The solicitor said that Higgins had been relying on a colleague to transport him to work, and on the morning in question the colleague was unable to collect him, and he took a chance and was stopped by police.

District Judge, Richard Wilson, warned Higgins to ‘wise up’ fining him a total of 600. Higgins was also disqualified for six months.

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