Teenager driving low-speed machine caught using mobile phone behind the wheel in Co Antrim

Steven Adair, 18, of Fernisky Park in Kells, admitted charges of using a mobile phone whilst driving and insurance and driving licence offences.

Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, was told a police patrol in Antrim town detected the offences on August 23 last year.

The defendant was driving a “material handler-type vehicle” and officers could see him looking down and he was "typing on a mobile phone device held in his right hand".

He was looking away from the road ahead and police saw the vehicle "swerve towards the centre white line nearly crossing into lane two as another vehicle passed" before being corrected.

A defence solicitor said it was a "plant machinery-type vehicle" which was unable to do more than 15mph.

He said there had been no toilet at a work site and after being "caught short" the defendant was driving to 'The Junction' shopping complex to use public toilets there.

The defendant was "trying to change a song on the radio with his phone".

The defendant was banned from driving for two months and was fined £500.