The driver and the owner of a van involved in a road traffic accident which occurred on 11th May last year have both been before a recent sitting of Fermanagh Magistrates Court to face charges in connection with the crash.

Before the court were James Patrick Slevin (45) from Cavanacross, Enniskillen and Michael Edward Love (55) from Feddans Road, Enniskillen.

The court heard that on the day in question, a white Ford Transit, driven by Love and owned by Slevin, was involved in a collision with a Peugeot 406 car.

At the time, the Transit van was towing a trailer with a small digger on it and the accident involved the van and colliding with the car in front.

When the van was examined, it was found that the front nearside brake pad was missing from its holder and the handbrake was defective.

Defending Slevin, the owner of the van, Frank McManus said his client accepted he asked Love to drive this vehicle.

However, he insisted that Love had used the van earlier that day and had found no problem with the brakes.

Mr McManus said the handbrake on the van 'must have slipped', and he went on to explain that the weight of the trailer must have pushed the van forward, leading to this incident.

Defending Love, Chris McGettigan said his client was unaware that the brakes on the van were faulty when he agreed to drive it.

Sentencing Slevin. the Resident Magistrate Liam McNally said he would take into account the defendant's plea of guilty but he noted that the brakes on this vehicle were in 'an extremely poor condition'. On a charge of causing Love to use a motor vehicle with defective brakes the defendant.

Slevin was fined £250 and had his licence endorsed with three penalty points.

On the second charge of causing Love to use a trailer when the brakes were defective, Slevin was fined another £250.

Love was fined £150 on a single charge of driving a vehicle with a defective braking system.