£100 fine for businessman

Colm Banus Bradley (65) of Culbane Lane, was charged with four counts of permitting a worker to drive without breaks.

North Antrim Magistrates’ Court heard that on June 19 last year, police stopped Mr Bradley’s employee, Mr Campbell on the Dunhill Road.

An inspection of the tipper lorry’s tachograph sheet indicated that there were four occasions when breaks were not taken.

A defence solicitor told the court that Mr Bradley’s firm had been carrying out road construction in Coleraine, and that the task meant lorries travelling from Coleraine to the Northstone quarry, a short distance, which would take drivers only 20 minutes.

The solicitor said that drivers were taking breaks at the quarry as the lorry was being loaded and weighed, as the distance was so short.

District Judge, Richard Wilson, fined Mr Bradley 100 and said that he was aware that the legislation in place was aimed at long distance trips.