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Footballer driving in uk for 10 years without licence
DESPITE driving on the highways and byways of this green and pleasant land for about a decade Stoke City striker Ricardo Fuller will have to take his driving test by the end of the month.
The 29-year-old, the Potters' top scorer so far this season with eight goals, was yesterday fined £115 by magistrates at Fenton for driving without a correct licence.
Fuller, of Weston, near Crewe, was stopped in his BMW 650i close to City's Michelin training ground in Trent Vale on February 25.He was charged with driving without insurance and without a correct licence.
Andrea Clutton, prosecuting, said: "Mr Fuller was stopped by police at around 10.15am on February 25.
"He was driving a black BMW on Riverside Road in Trent Vale, and was followed by officers to Stoke City's Michelin training ground.
"He was approached by officers, arrested and then taken to the police station.
"He said he was the holder of a Jamaican licence and had been unaware that he was unable to drive on that Jamaican licence. He is a provisional UK licence holder."
Mike Stephenson, defending, said: "These cases can be quite complicated. He is Jamaican, and the law is that when you are a resident in England after 12 months you have to apply for a UK licence.
"But there are different definitions of being a resident. Once resident here for 12 months you have to apply for a provisional licence and pass your test to obtain a full licence. Mr Fuller has been here for 10 years but thought Jamaica was one of the countries where you didn't have to apply for a full licence in the UK.
"As soon as he realised he immediately obtained his provisional licence and has passed his theory test. He is due to take his practical test at the end of this month and currently has L-plates on his car."
As well as the fine, Fuller was ordered to pay £60 court costs and three points were added to his licence.
The 29-year-old, the Potters' top scorer so far this season with eight goals, was yesterday fined £115 by magistrates at Fenton for driving without a correct licence.
Fuller, of Weston, near Crewe, was stopped in his BMW 650i close to City's Michelin training ground in Trent Vale on February 25.He was charged with driving without insurance and without a correct licence.
Andrea Clutton, prosecuting, said: "Mr Fuller was stopped by police at around 10.15am on February 25.
"He was driving a black BMW on Riverside Road in Trent Vale, and was followed by officers to Stoke City's Michelin training ground.
"He was approached by officers, arrested and then taken to the police station.
"He said he was the holder of a Jamaican licence and had been unaware that he was unable to drive on that Jamaican licence. He is a provisional UK licence holder."
Mike Stephenson, defending, said: "These cases can be quite complicated. He is Jamaican, and the law is that when you are a resident in England after 12 months you have to apply for a UK licence.
"But there are different definitions of being a resident. Once resident here for 12 months you have to apply for a provisional licence and pass your test to obtain a full licence. Mr Fuller has been here for 10 years but thought Jamaica was one of the countries where you didn't have to apply for a full licence in the UK.
"As soon as he realised he immediately obtained his provisional licence and has passed his theory test. He is due to take his practical test at the end of this month and currently has L-plates on his car."
As well as the fine, Fuller was ordered to pay £60 court costs and three points were added to his licence.
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Comments
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Escaped lightly. Did the magistrates all get seasons tickets for next year?
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A wonderful example of dual standards when applying penalties for breaking the law of the land!0
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Is it dual standards? Have others been fined more when in a similar situation?matched betting: £879.63
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Is it dual standards? Have others been fined more when in a similar situation?
Trying to think of something similar. Wonder what a UK resident would be fined for say towing a (large) trailer and the arguing they didn't realise that you could only do it on a full UK licence if you passed your test prior to (I think) 1998. Quite easy to do i would imagine.0 -
oldagetraveller wrote: »A wonderful example of dual standards when applying penalties for breaking the law of the land!
Not really, the penalties for deliberately driving without a licence are harsher than what would be imposed for someone who could reasonably have thought that their licence was valid but it wasn't (such as the many thousands who are likely to end up driving with an expired photocard licence in the next few years*).
The chances are he did actually have insurance, but it was invalidated due to the status of his licence, would go a long way to showing the magistrates it was an honest mistake (as opposed to someone who doesn't even bother trying to get insurance, and never passed a test anywhere).
International driving licences can be more than a bit confusing, as depending on where you passed your test your licence may be totally invalid here, valid for 12 months, or valid regardless of how long you've been here, and may or may not limit you to an automatic.
It sounds like his lawyer was able to make a case for an honest mistake in regards to the validity of the licence, which the magistrates accepted, and dealt with by imposing penalties at the lower end of the allowed scale.
Absolutely no double standard, just the court looking at the details of the offence(s), the defence, and operating within the guidelines they have to follow.
*Given that a lot of people seem unaware their photocard licence requires renewing every 10 years or so.0 -
Trying to think of something similar. Wonder what a UK resident would be fined for say towing a (large) trailer and the arguing they didn't realise that you could only do it on a full UK licence if you passed your test prior to (I think) 1998. Quite easy to do i would imagine.
That would probably be slightly different though, a closer example would be someone with a full UK driving licence that hadn't been renewed when it expired, something that happens on a regular basis and the courts do tend to be fairly lenient when it's likely it's a mistake.
One of my elderly neighbours was driving for probably 6months after he should have renewed his licence, when he realised he hadn't got a current licence he contacted the DVLA who it would appear didn't bat an eye at it, and just proceeded with the normal renewal process for those whose licence has expired due to age (70 i think?).0 -
One of my elderly neighbours was driving for probably 6months after he should have renewed his licence, when he realised he hadn't got a current licence he contacted the DVLA who it would appear didn't bat an eye at it, and just proceeded with the normal renewal process for those whose licence has expired due to age (70 i think?).
You just prompted me to check mine, and I can confirm it does expire at age 70.
Ten more years of scaring the !!!!!! out of other Surrey drivers before I need a retest. Woohoo :T :rotfl:
Dave.... DaveHappily retired and enjoying my 14th year of leisureI am cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.Bring me sunshine in your smile0 -
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