MAGISTRATES gave an absolute discharge to the owner of a sports car who admitted driving without insurance, yesterday.

Darlington Magistrates' Court heard that 23-year-old Robert Morris, had special reasons for driving his imported Toyota MR2 car without insurance and for having number plates that failed to meet regulations.

He was stopped by police last June because of the irregular registration plates on the vehicle and was given 14 days to replace them with ones with a bigger font and told to produce his driving documents.

Although Mr Morris admitted both offences, his solicitor Laura Saunders-Jerrom, asked magistrates to use their discretion and not add any points on his licence.

She said the vehicle had been imported by a company in Milton Keynes and before Mr Morris could take delivery he had to produce insurance documents. He paid a £300 deposit and set up a direct debit mandate with the insurance company, which sent the cover note to Milton Keynes.

A letter from the insurance company was later sent to his home in Whinfield Road, Darlington, but this was misplaced in a pile of junk mail and his father threw it away.

Unbeknown to Mr Morris, his policy was cancelled when the company did not hear from him.

The Japanese car's registration plates were of an unusual size, so replacements had to be ordered, which took longer than the 14 days he was given.

Magistrates gave Mr Morris an absolute discharge on both offences.