news in brief

A MOYARGET man has been banned from driving for two weeks and fined £200 for permitting an employee to drive a tractor without insurance.

Raymond Wallace Todd (45), of Moyarget Road, Ballycastle, committed the offence on September 20 last year, the Magistrates Court in Coleraine was told last Wednesday.

The driver of the tractor was disqualified from driving and the defendant told police he was not aware of that.

A defence solicitor said her client employs 20 people and had he been aware of the disqualification he would not have allowed the person to drive the tractor at Moyarget Road.

Ballycastle woman had drugs

A BALLYCASTLE woman has been fined £300 for possession of the Class B drug mephedrone.

Bernadette Morgan (42), of Stroanshesk Park, had the offence detected on September 2 last year, Coleraine Court heard last Wednesday.

Police became suspicious about a car as it drove along Lodge Road in Coleraine and when they stopped the vehicle the defendant was nervous. Officers found a small bag of white powder.

A defence solicitor said her client got mephedrone at the Lammas Fair a few days earlier and had put it in the glovebox of the car and forgot about it.

She said Morgan, who has difficulty sleeping, was told mephedrone would assist her and her client bought £20 worth of the drug but had not used it.

District Judge Richard Wilson ordered the disposal of the drugs.

He said Morgan should seek medical advice.

“If she has difficulty sleeping she should get medication from her doctor, not self-medicate,” the District Judge added.