A pensioner with Alzheimer’s has been convicted of not renewing his car insurance, despite being unable to drive the vehicle.
A 91-year-old man has been convicted of leaving his car uninsured for less than two weeks after it was parked on a driveway.
The man was taken to court by the Driver and Vehicle Leasing Agency (DVLA) and prosecuted through the controversial Single Justice Procedure system.
In response to the notice regarding the unpaid bill for the 10-year-old Renault Megane, the man’s son explained that his father was ill.
He clarified that his driving licence had been taken away due to his Alzheimer’s and that the vehicle was parked on his driveway.
The car was insured for five days, during which an MOT test took place, with hopes of selling the Renault Megane.
Following this, the son explained that the vehicle was uninsured for 11 days while the sale was being finalised.
Despite the explanation, the 91-year-old was convicted of keeping a motor vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements.
The man was prosecuted for failing to renew his car insurance on the vehicle that he was no longer able to drive
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GETTY/DVLA
The Single Justice Procedure allows magistrates to hand out convictions in private hearings, where the court process is fast-tracked.
Campaigners have called on the Government to scrap the rules amid concerns that the rules are unfair, especially for older or ill people.
There have been numerous instances of people with dementia or Alzheimer’s being convicted, despite not being physically able to drive their vehicles.
Labour has considered calls from experts to reform the Single Justice Procedure process over the last 12 months, especially as more cases come to light.
There have been growing calls for the Single Justice Procedure system to be reformed
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GETTYThe 91-year-old pensioner was prosecuted for the car insurance issue last September, and was sent a letter about the proceedings last month.
The man’s son indicated a guilty plea on his father’s behalf, as well as underlining that he was born in 1934.
Speaking to PA, the man’s son said: “I am completing this on behalf of my father, who has Alzheimer’s and had his licence revoked due to his illness.
“We took the car and parked it on our driveway while we were selling it. We took out car insurance with LV from September 5 to September 11, so we were insured to get the MOT.”
The Renault Megane was parked on the man’s driveway, as his licence had been taken away
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GETTYThe DVLA stated that it had not seen mitigation letters because of the way the SJP system is set up, with the agency rarely knowing of any mitigating circumstances relating to the case.
It has also supported calls for Labour to reform JSPs to ensure that prosecutors see all mitigation letters prior to the case being taken to court.
The magistrate who convicted the pensioner, from Wimborne in Dorset, imposed an absolute discharge, rather than imposing a fine.
