‘You don’t believe the law applies to you’

Andrew Lucas, whose address was given as Churchill Park, Portadown, was given suspended prison sentences last Wednesday at Craigavon Magistrates Court.

At an earlier court he admitted driving while disqualified on January 7 this year and not having insurance.

The case was adjourned in order to obtain a pre-sentence report.

The court heard that he was stopped at 4pm on the Bleary Road and checks showed there was no insurance in place and he was a disqualified driver.

In a notebook interview he made a full admission to the offences.

A solicitor representing Lucas said this was his brother’s vehicle and there had been attacks on it due to sectarian elements so the defendant was moving it.

He added that his client didn’t have a great record and this was his fourth offence for driving without insurance.

The solicitor said that for the first time Lucas had a full time job.

He said his client was hoping not to be back in court again.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, told the defendant these were serious charges.

“Driving without insurance, you do it all the time,” she added.

“You don’t believe the law applies to you. If a disqualified driver severely injured one of your children how would you feel?”

She imposed concurrent four month prison sentences on each charge and suspended them for two years.

Lucas was also banned from driving for a total of 12 months.