Fintona man fined for having number plates which said ‘private’

A 61-YEAR-OLD man who once claimed to live by the ‘laws of nature’ has been banned from driving after police found him using false number plates.

Vincent Sharkey, of Tattymoyle Road, Fintona, appeared at Omagh Magistrates Court charged with driving without insurance or a licence, obstructing police and using false number plates on the front and rear of his Peugeot Partner van.

Police stopped the van on December 7 after noticing its registration plate simply read ‘private’. Sharkey refused to answer questions from the officers.

Police then checked the van’s chassis number, which was used to confirm the vans real registration mark, registered to Sharkey, and the lack of insurance on the vehicle.

Defence solicitor Michael Fahy told the court that during this period Sharkey was acting as a ‘freeman’, adding that he did not recognise the laws of the court, opting for the ‘laws of nature’ instead.

Mr Fahy said this was ‘self-evident’ by the defendant’s use of ‘private’ plates.

However, Mr Fahy notified the hearing that Sharkey was now fully compliant with the law of the court following legal consultation.

A testimonial was provided to the court from Sharkey’s employer, who regarded him as a ‘hard working’ subcontractor.

Mr Fahy noted that Sharkey had never been before the court until this period and had since obtained a licence and insurance.

District Judge Ted Magill noted that Sharkey had taken a ‘certain view’ of the law, but he reminded the defendant that insurance was something ‘we are all obligated to have’.

Judge Magill gave credit for Sharkey’s guilty plea and said that the plate concealment was ‘not nefarious’.

Sharkey was disqualified from driving for one month and was ordered to pay £550 in fines.