A top North Yorkshire policeman was this afternoon fined £200 after admitting a string of motoring offences.

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Hallinan, who has been suspended from duty since last September, was also ordered to pay £35 costs and £75 in excise licence back duty by Northallerton magistrates.

The court was told that DCI Hallinan was stopped as he was entering the driveway of North Yorkshire Police headquarters at Newby Wiske, near Northallerton driving a Mercedes imported from Germany. Jane Cook, prosecuting, said police inquiries revealed a number of offences. The vehicle did not have proper registration plates, or a vehicle excise licence or an MOT test certificate.

Both headlamps on the right-hand drive German car were positioned for right-hand drive and could have dazzled oncoming traffic and the mandatory rear fog lamp did not have a bulb.

She said the vehicle belonged to DCI Hallinan's brother, Martin, who had acquired it from a business colleague. DCI Hallinan, aged 43, of Alne, near Easingwold, pleaded guilty via his solicitor Geoffrey Forrester to driving a vehicle without a proper registration plate, a vehicle licence and test certificate, and two offences of using a vehicle with headlamps not in good working order and a third of using a vehicle with a rear fog lamp not in good working order.

Mr Forrester apologised for DCI Hallinan's absence, saying he was not well.

He said there was no suggestion by anybody that he had been deceitful or dishonest.

There had been a "misunderstanding and misapprehension".

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