A 31-year-old Douglas man has been fined £550 for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition and having no vehicle licence.

Alan James Hardinge, of Woodlands View, also had his licence endorsed with three penalty points and was ordered to pay £50 prosecution costs.

Prosecutor Mark Benson told the court how, on October 17 at 9am, police saw Hardinge driving a transit van on Governors Road with the rear lights obscured by mud.

They stopped him and he produced a report from the vehicle test centre, dated May 17, which listed a number of defects with the vehicle.

Hardinge admitted that he had been using the vehicle since then due to not being able to afford the cost of the repairs, which was said to be £2,520.

Police seized the vehicle and it was taken to the test centre where its poor condition was confirmed.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode said: ’In relation to the purchase of the vehicle he bought it in the UK in April and put it to the test centre in May for examination.

’He was aware of the list of defects highlighted but he would say that he was not informed that he couldn’t use the vehicle.

’He would say he didn’t realise it was in a dangerous condition.

’He was having the defects dealt with in stages because he couldn’t afford to have them all fixed at once.’

Mr Kermode went on to say that Hardinge was a landscape gardener and asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea.

He continued: ’All the defects have now been fixed and it is due back at the test centre on January 8 for examination.’

Hardinge was fined £400 for having a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

And he was fined £150 for the licence offence.