A driver with out-of-date car tax told a court the matter had been dealt with and he was already paying a fine for the offence.

But Douglas magistrates were told in fact Furo Gerald Kermode Davies had committed the offence twice and the second offence was still to be dealt with.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski told the court police had followed Davies’ black Ford Fiesta along South Quay, Bridge Road and Bank’s Circus, in Douglas to Tesco’s supermarket where the car pulled up ’abruptly’ in the car park at around 6.30pm on February 13. Police had checked the computer data base as they tailed the car and checks revealed the tax on it was not up to date.

The car’s tax disc had expired at the end of March 2016.

The court heard Davies had originally appeared in April but the case was adjourned for further investigation when Davies told them it had already been dealt with.

He had failed to appear on May 11. saying he was not told the date for his court appearance, though the date was set in his presence at the hearing in April.

Magistrates’ chairman Lisa Horton fined him £250 for the offence and he must also pay a contribution of £50 towards prosecution costs.