Passenger was sitting on mud guard of tractor

A Banbridge man who was caught driving a tractor with a passenger sitting on his mud guard twice appeared before the local court last week.

Timothy Hudson from Kiloanin Crescent faced two separate sets of charges involving the same tractor.

The 22 year-old was firstly charged on November 16, last year with failing to ensure the safety of a passenger, displaying no ‘l’ plates and no number plate.

For these charges he was fined £135 and given three penalty points.

He was further charged on 17 December of failing to ensure the safety of a passenger and failing to produce his licence.

He was fined £180 as well as an offender’s levy of £15.

Last week’s court heard how police on duty at Church Square on November 16 observed Hudson driving a tractor into town with a passenger sitting on the mud guard.

The passenger on this occasion was holding onto the drive shaft for stability.

When police spoke to Hudson about his licence officers also noticed there was no registration mark on the tractor.

Some weeks later on December 17 police again stopped Hudson driving a tractor on the Lurgan Road, Banbridge.

Again, a passenger was sitting on the mud flap and not in the cabin.

A solicitor said his client had passed his tractor test but not his full driving test.

He said Hudson was a trainee electrician who had previously been working casually on local farms.

“He owned this vintage tractor and it was simple ignorance and not malice,” said the solicitor.

“As regards to the registration plate, there was one on the back albeit not where the police said it should have been.

“He accepts he should not have been carrying a passenger and he should have been the only person on the tractor.”

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