Man fined for failing to produce documents

Thirty-four-year-old Caolan Bernard McGuckin from Tirkane Road, Maghera, was also handed three penalty points and ordered to pay a £15 offender levy.

He admitted charges of speeding, and failing to produce his insurance certificate, vehicle test certificate and driving licence.

The court heard the offences arose out of an incident at Coleraine Road, Maghera, on September 4 last year.

Prosecuting counsel said at approximately 11.50am police detected a vehicle being driven at 42mph, which was 12mph in excess of the restriction for this stretch of road.

The lawyer said McGuckin could not produce his driving licence, insurance and vehicle test certificate at the scene and was directed to produce them at Magherafelt police station within seven days.

Counsel added that a police check was later carried out and it showed the defendant had failed to produce his documents.

Defence lawyer Liam McStay admitted it would not have been an issue for the defendant if he had just attended the police station with his documents as directed.

Mr McStay said he understood McGuckin had some difficulty in finding where he had left the documents.

The lawyer pleaded with the court to treat the defendant leniently.

Imposing the fines, District Judge Oonagh Mullen said he would have saved himself a lot of unnecessary expense if he had just taken the documents to the station.

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