Craigavon judge tells defendant Lennon 'Your flouting of the criminal law when it comes to motoring matters is breath-taking'

William Erroll Lennon, aged 39, from Loughgall Road, Portadown was accused of using a motor vehicle without insurance, failing to display L plates and being an unaccompanied L driver on November 21, 2021.

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At Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday (November 8) a prosecutor told the court that police stopped a Vauxhall Vectra, driven by the defendant in Market Street, Lurgan on November 21 last year. When police asked for his driving licence he claimed he didn’t have it on him.

Police checks showed he only had a provisional licence. No L plates were displayed on the vehicle and he was no accompanied by a full licence holder. Efforts were made at the roadside to see if the insurance company would have covered him, however this was unsuccessful. Later correspondence from the insurance company said they would not have covered his journey on the day in question.

Lennon’s solicitor Mr McDonald said his client had a partner but they are living apart at the moment and he has one child of his own and he looks after two of her children.

“My client has a persistent pattern regarding driving offences. He has had community service, he's had a probation order and a combination order all mostly to do with driving offences.

"There is one which had a profound effect upon him and that was in February of this year when he was in court for no insurance with Your Worship dealing with the matter and you gave him three months imprisonment,” said Mr McDonald.

"That was appealed and it went down to one month. That was the first time my client went to prison and it was a wake-up call for him. This offence took place on November 21, 2021 and was before his sentencing to prison in February. It had a profound effect on him,” Lennon’s defence solicitor said.

"On the day in question, he did have insurance but it was not valid as he was unaccompanied. He has changed and is frightened of going back to prison,” he concluded.

Judge Bernie Kelly said: “Your flouting of the criminal law when it comes to motoring matters is breath-taking. You have an atrocious history, doing what you want to do, regardless of what the law tells you you should be doing and that is particularly relevant when it comes to motoring matters including insurance.

"Last count you have seven previous no insurance matters on your record. Mr McDonald does make some valid points,” said Judge Kelly.

For having no insurance, Lennon was sentenced to four months in custody which was suspended for three years. He was further disqualified from driving for two years. For failure to display L plates he was fined £100 plus the Offender Levy and disqualified from driving for two years. For not having a suitably qualified driver he was fined £200 and disqualified from driving for two years.