Northallerton Magistrates Court have this morning (30 May 14) handed out 3 points and a £830 fine to a man for using his mobile phone while driving a van on the Leeds road in Harrogate.
Kenneth Brian Cormick, aged 45 and from Rochdale, pleaded not guilty to the offence of using a mobile phone while driving on the afternoon of 30 October 2013.
Mr Cormick failed to appear at the trial, but a statement was read out on his behalf. Mitigation was given that he was using the phone for accessing music on the phone rather than as a phone.
Mr Cormick was found guilty after the Magistrates listened to evidence from a Police Traffic Constable and a media representative from the Harrogate-News website, who was accompanying the Officer at the time – both witnessed Mr Cormick using the phone.
The £830 fine was made up of £620 prosecution costs, £190 trial costs and £20 surcharge.
Pleading guilty at the roadside would have led to a £100 fine with 3 points.
