A Keady man who was caught by police driving whilst disqualified believed his ban had ended a court has heard.
Deputy District Judge Anne Marshall took a dim view of this excuse and handed the defendant another 12-month disqualification.
Kevin Barry Grimley, of Caramoyle, appeared at Armagh Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with driving whilst disqualified and without valid insurance.
The incident occurred on April 6, at around 11.15pm, when police pulled over a Volkswagen Golf on Upper English Street, in the city, which they believed had a defective tail light.
Insurance checks run on the vehicle showed the policy holder to be a female, but it was a male who was driving.
Police questioned the 27-year-old who confirmed the car belonged to his partner. He confirmed he was driving and believed he was insured to do so.
The court heard Grimley had been banned from driving for four months in January.
He was subsequently arrested for driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.
When interviewed the defendant told officers he believed that the ban had ended.
Defence counsel stated Grimley had been disqualified until May of this year but he “had thought it shorter”.
They blamed this on the defendant’s “own inadvertence” and told Deputy District Judge Marshall they understood the court could take a “particular view” of this type of behaviour.
The defence asked that the Deputy District Judge view it as “a one-off” with a warning that any other similar offence would be punished heavily.
Court heard Grimley had been working for a joinery firm up until earlier this month but was now unemployed.
Deputy District Judge Marshall commented that “there were still five weeks left of the ban; it’s not as if he was down to the final few days”.
She went on to question the no insurance claim asking how he could have obtained a policy without a licence.
Defence counsel clarified he had been a named driver on the vehicle but the solicitor said information provided to the insurance company had been inaccurate.
The defendant was disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay fines totalling £350, along with the offender’s levy of £15.
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