Mark Duffy (40), of Hilden Court, Lisburn, was fined a total of £300 and received eight penalty points on his licence at Lisburn Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The charges arose from a police stop on Derriaghy Road on March 22, 2026. Officers at a checkpoint found that Duffy’s vehicle was not insured and that he held only a provisional driving licence.

Despite Duffy’s claim at the roadside that the car was insured, checks confirmed there was no valid policy in place. He was given a notice to produce an insurance certificate at Lisburn police station within a set period.

Duffy later attended the station and produced a certificate, but it carried a date after the offence. Police also established he had been driving unaccompanied, a requirement for learner drivers.

A defence lawyer told the court that Duffy’s vehicle had been insured until the previous month and that he had renewed his cover shortly after being stopped. The lawyer said Duffy was unaware the policy had ended and understood the consequences he faced.

District Judge Rosie Watters imposed a fine of £250 for driving without insurance, along with an offender’s levy of £15, and endorsed Duffy’s licence with eight penalty points. For the charge of being an unaccompanied learner driver, a further £50 fine was imposed.