A Loughall man who has not held a licence in this century has been banned from driving for 12 months after being caught on the road.
Court heard the 45-year-old had been disqualified in 1999 for a drink driving offence.
Jeffrey Raymond Herron, of Rectory Court, pleaded guilty to using a vehicle a vehicle without insurance or MOT and driving without a licence at Craigavon Magistrates’ on Friday.
It was heard on June 10 at around 9.30 am police on patrol on the Westland Road stopped the defendant driving a Volkswagen Golf that was flagged as having no insurance or MOT.
Officers spoke to the Herron who confirmed this and revealed they he did not hold a valid licence.
Defence barrister David McKeown informed the court the defendant had spent eight months “doing up” the vehicle as a “labour of love” with a view to getting back on the road.
He said that due to medical problems Herron had a limited amount of options as a way of sentencing available to him and Mr McKeown urged the judge to “leave something hanging over his head”.
The barrister accepted that the defendant had a bad record but commented that “most of it if not all of it is of some vintage” with the last being in 2015 and before that 2001.
Court learnt that Herron had not held a licence since 1999 when he had been disqualified for drink driving.
District Judge Bernie Kelly stated: “Does he think the law doesn’t apply to him like everyone else, he was disqualified in the last century. I have defendants in this court that are younger than that.”
Herron was disqualified from driving for 12 months and was also sentenced to four months in prison suspended for two years.
In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay a fine of £300, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 16 weeks.
