Sisters in court after insurance cover problem

Tara Clarke (19), Antrim Road, Lurgan, was fined £200 and banned for six months for permitting her sister to drive without insurance.

Leah Clarke (23), Antrim Road, Lurgan, was fined £200 and given six points for driving without insurance. She was also fined £50 for failing to produce her driving licence.

Police stopped a car on June 17 this year at the entrance to Oxford Island. Leah Clarke was driving.

Police checks revealed there was no insurance in place.

She assured police that she did have insurance and on June 22 she produced a certificate of insurance. However it had been taken out on June 18, the day after she was stopped. Tara Clarke was the owner of the vehicle and was cautioned for the permitting offence. Neither of the defendants had any previous record.

Mr Pat Vernon, representing both defendants, said Leah Clarke worked full time in Craigavon hospital but could not get finance for a car. He added that her sister, Tara, was a full time student in England and bizarrely she managed to get finance.

He said a direct debit payment had been missed and the insurance company had sent an email to the mother of the defendants but her account had been hacked and the message had not been received.