A motorist who decided to take his van for an early morning test drive was caught out with no tax or insurance, Douglas magistrates were told.

John William Kelly had been working on his LDV Maxus van and decided to take it for a 6am test drive on June 15.

But his plan unravelled when he found himself followed by police as he drove along Mooragh Promenade.

Noting the tax had expired at the end of April, police followed the van to Kelly’s Albert Street address. The 59-year-old admitted having no tax or insurance and failing to register his ownership. A separate charge of failing to produce his van insurance at the police station was withdrawn.

Defending him Peter Taylor told the court the van was initially full of faults and the ’worst purchase he could have made’. He said Kelly had kept it off road while he worked on it.

’He didn’t change the ownership details because it was parked up in a private lane near to his house,’ he said.

’Just before the offence, he had installed a new turbo-charger and it needed a blast through to test it so he took a gamble and drove a short distance,’ he said.

Magistrates’ chairman David Christian said: ’It was a stupid decision to take it on the highway without tax or insurance.’

He was fined £400 for the lack of insurance, £100 each for no tax and failing to change ownership details, and pays £50 costs.