Some children were 'sharing seat belts' in car driven at 106mph

A man who had four children who were not properly restrained in his back seat, when he was driving at more than 100 mph on the motorway, has been handed a three-year driving ban.

Ballymena Magistrates' Court heard that on 27 May last year, police on the Rathbeg roundabout on the M2 spotted a vehicle travelling at 106 mph, 36 mph over the limit.

When the car was pulled over and officers spoke to 31-year-old Martin Christopher Stokes, they found a total of seven people in the car, including four children in the back seat, none of whom were properly restrained.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court there were no booster seats, no child seats and some were "sharing seat belts."

Stokes, with an address at Harmin Drive in Newtownabbey, entered guilty pleas to each of the five offences, including using a vehicle in a condition causing danger to passengers, excess speed, and three of carrying a child under 12 without proper restraint.

A defence lawyer said, while it was no excuse, Stokes had received news of a relative who was "very ill" in hospital, so he was on his way there.

Stokes was not present in court but Powles conceded that he has previous driving convictions and that having been convicted of driving while unfit, he is subject to a three-year driving ban until 2028.

The barrister further conceded there were aggravating features in the case, but the judge told him "that is an understatement".

In addition to the three-year driving ban, Stokes was fined £500.