Former DUP Councillor Luke Poots Fined and Disqualified for Mobile Phone Use While Driving Tractor

Luke Poots, a former DUP councillor, has received a £300 fine and a four-month driving disqualification following his conviction by a judge for operating a tractor while using a mobile phone. District Judge Michael Ranaghan informed the court that he accepted the testimony of two police officers, who stated they observed Mr. Poots using his mobile phone while driving on the A1 road on June 11, 2022. According to one police officer, Mr. Poots was seen holding the phone in front of him “like using the loud speaker mode,” and the officer noted his lips were moving. The judge specified that the driving ban would commence at midnight on Friday, noting that Mr. Poots had traveled approximately 20 miles by tractor from his residence in Lisburn to Craigavon Magistrates Court for the proceedings. Mr. Poots pleaded not guilty to the charge and presented his own defense. He informed the judge that he was speaking on the phone with his father, Edwin Poots, a DUP MLA and Assembly Speaker, who inquired if he was utilizing a hands-free device. “I said of course,” Luke Poots recounted. Mr. Poots contended that the officers would have been unable to discern if his hand was positioned in front of his chest, citing the height disparity between a tractor and a police vehicle. “I was on the hands free and it’s easy to say that someone wasn’t,” he told the court. However, the judge concluded that the police officers “were very clear and their hand motions were very indicative as to exactly what they saw.” After imposing the fine, the four-month driving prohibition, and a £15 offender levy, the judge approved bail for an appeal but withheld permission for Mr. Poots to drive while the appeal is pending.