An uninsured driver drew police’s attention to himself by not wearing his seatbelt, Douglas magistrates were told.

Michael Jelski for the prosecution, said a police patrol followed Darryl James Russell Fox’s Citroen Saxo at Snugborough because they could see the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. Computer records also showed the tax for the car had expired.

When police stopped the car and cautioned 36-year-old Fox, he also told them he was not insured either as he had only just bought the car.

Fox, of Snugborough Avenue, Union Mills, admitted having no insurance, not wearing his seat belt and not having tax on his car, when he was stopped in the early evening on February 14.

Defending him, duty advocate Ian Kermode told the court Fox worked as an apprentice carpet fitter and any loss of his licence could jeopardise his employment.

’He drives the van to different locations around the Isle of Man,’ he said.

Referring to the driving without insurance offence, he added: ’He bought the car a few weeks before in January and it was delivered to his address by trailer.

’He was going to do some work on it before insuring it.

’But on the day, he took a chance and decided to drive it to his mother’s address. He was going to leave it at that address in order to do some of the repairs that were necessary.

’It was a foolish thing to have done: a foolish mistake and an error of judgement,’ he said.

’He knew the tax had expired in December.’

Mr Kermode said the defendant was very concerned about the prospect of a driving ban and its possible effect on his employment.

Fox had supplied postal admissions to the offences earlier, but the case was adjourned so he could appear and explain why he should keep his licence.

Sentencing him, magistrates’ chairman Carol Maddrell said: ’We do not think the insurance matter was an oversight.’

He was fined £400 and banned from driving for 30 days. He was fined £150 for having no tax and £150 for not wearing a seatbelt.