No insurance for '˜fixer upper'

David Anthony Joseph Barry, Church Crescent, Newtownabbey, was fined £200 last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court for not having insurance on May 14 this year.

He was also banned from driving for a year.

For not displaying ‘R’ plates he was fined £50, ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy and banned for six months.

The court heard that at 4.50pm a police patrol in Lurgan saw a car being driven at Oakfield Terrace and checks revealed it was not insured.

The car was seized and the defendant cautioned. There were no ‘R’ plates displayed.

A solicitor representing the defendant said he had bought the vehicle to fix it up and sell on.

He explained that Barry had taken the car out for a test run to see if it would go.

District Judge, Mr Peter King, said given Barry’s record perhaps that was unwise.

He pointed out that the defendant had 86 previous convictions and earlier in the month he had lost his licence at a Laganside court.