Was warned of defects

Graham Duncan, Old Church Lane, Aghalee, admitted two series of offences which happened on March 20 this year.

For offences which happened at 11.45am on that date he was fined £40 on each of two charges of having a defective tyre, fined £60 for having a defective exhaust and fined £75 for not having a vehicle test certificate.

Similar fines for similar offences were imposed when he was stopped driving again at 12.09pm on the same day.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, exercised his discretion in the case and banned Duncan from driving for three months.

The court heard that the first set of offences came to light when the defendant was stopped while driving on the Lurgan Road, Aghagallon. He was then stopped driving the same vehicle a short time later.

Duncan had no legal representation and pleaded guilty himself, saying that the tyres were only marginally defective.

He said he was self-employed and his licence was important to him.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said the defendant had a quite lengthy record in relation to motor vehicles.

He pointed out that Duncan had been disqualified in June last year and now he was in court for a plethora of offences. He was no stranger to the courts for driving offences.