Teen driver lands ban and fine

Aug 5 2010 West Lothian Courier

A TEENAGE driver with an “appalling” record for driving convictions has been handed a £900 fine for yet another road traffic offence.

Michael Nixon was stopped by police at 10pm on December 5 last year as he was driving on Whitburn Road in Bathgate.

A background check revealed the 19-year-old had no insurance for the vehicle.

Nixon, whose address was given as Portal Road, Grangemouth, pled guilty to driving without insurance.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard at the time of his plea it was his third conviction for the offence. Since then, however, Nixon has amassed another three convictions for the same offence and was also handed a three-year ban at Airdrie Sheriff Court for driving while disqualified.

His solicitor, Andy Aitken, told the court there was little to say in way of mitigation for his client.

“He is a young man who clearly in the past has had no regard for road traffic legislation,” said Mr Aitken.

“He is 19 and lives with his mother and girlfriend.

“He is at Cumbernauld College doing a two-year course and hopes to have a job when he finishes.”

Handing him a hefty fine and a three-year ban from the roads, Sheriff Martin Edington said: “You are amassing an appalling record for road traffic matters and you have a total disregard for the road traffic laws of this country and, it seems, for orders of the court.

“This might be your third conviction for this offence chronologically but you now have six in total and I plan to deal with this with the imposition of a very substantial fine.”