Fined for having darkened windows on his vehicle

A solicitor claimed his client, who was fined for driving with darkened windows, got the vehicle through an MOT in that condition.
Court image.Court image.
Court image.

Lawyer Stewart Ballentine was speaking at Ballymena Magistrates Court on December 14 for Thomas Alexander Galbraith (26), of Skye Park, Ballymena, where he said his client “is not a boy racer as such”.

The defendant pleaded guilty to four charges including using a Volkswagen car on a road or other public place, namely Bridge Street, Ballymena, ‘of which the front side windows had visual transmission for light of less than the percentage required’.

Galbraith was also technically an unaccompanied learner driver.

He was therefore uninsured and had no L plates displayed.

Mr Ballentine said the defendant has since replaced the windows.

He said the car had been seized by police and his client had to pay to retrieve it.

On the day of the offences, August 3 this year, Mr Ballentine said Galbraith was in a hurry and although he was accompanied by his girlfriend who is a qualified driver it was not for the required length of time to be supervising a learner.

Galbraith has now passed his driving test, said the solicitor.

The defendant was not present in the courtroom as District Judge Peter King was told Galbraith has a “difficulty with confined spaces”.

The defendant was given six penalty points and fined £300.

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