A 48-YEAR-OLD man has admitted driving a Transit van on a Borders road while disqualified.

John Mongan, formerly of Beattie Court, Hawick, and now back living in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to the offence on the A699 St Boswells to Selkirk road on July 30.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that police officers pulled the vehicle over at 11.30pm and asked Mongan to produce his licence which he did not have with him.

A check revealed he was a banned driver.

Mongan claimed he did not realise he was disqualified and lawyer Ed Hulme explained that details of his ban had been sent to his Londonderry home but he did not receive the mail.

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Mr Hulme said Mongan accepted he should have updated the DVLA with his new address at the time.

The court heard the ban had been imposed for failing to name the identity of a driver.

Mr Hulme said his client was unwittingly driving while disqualified so it was not a deliberate flouting of the law.

Sheriff Nigel Morrison imposed a fine of £450 with a £20 victim surcharge and endorsed Mongan’s licence with six penalty points “due to the circumstances”.