Andrew Stronge (36) of Boho Road in the village appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to towing a trailer as a learner driver, giving a false declaration to obtain insurance, two counts of driving without insurance, two counts of unaccompanied driving, and two counts of failing to display L plates. 

The charges arose out of two incidents where he was stopped by police last year. 

On May 23, at approximately 5.10pm, police stopped a white Citroen Berlingo van on the Derrygonnelly Road in Enniskillen, which was being driven by Stronge was driving the van who was accompanied by his partner. 

Police asked the defendant to produce his insurance documents, and handed them an Aviva policy at the roadside. Stronge, who had produced his provisional driving licence for police, was the policy holder and his partner was a named driver. 

However, after carrying out enquires, police learned Stronge had stated on his insurance form he’d held a full licence for nine years, and that he had no previous driving convictions. Both he and his partner both held only provisional licences and had previous driving convictions. 

Stronge also had no L plates displayed and was not accompanied by a qualified driver. 

The second set of charges arose after Stronge was stopped by police driving the white Berlingo van at approximately 3.50pm on Monday, August 22 at Mallard Heights in Bellanaleck. 

Once again, Stronge had no L plates displayed, had no accompanying qualified driver, and was towing a trailer, which he was not permitted to do on a provisional licence. 

Stronge produced an insurance document from Aviva to police at the scene, which appeared to be valid, however a upon investigating police discovered the policy had been cancelled due to the previous police investigation against the defendant. 

Defence solicitor Garry Smyth said the father-of-two had since passed his driving test, and said he took the matters very seriously. 

The solicitor explained that when the defendant was applying for his insurance online initially he was under the misapprehension that because his previous driving conviction had been more than five years previous he did not have to disclose it. 

Mr Smyth said Stronge accepted he shouldn’t have been driving without supervision, and pointed out that was where the subsequent investigations had come from.

District Judge Nigel Broderick fined Stronge a total of £750 and disqualified him for a total of six months on all charges.