Absolute discharge after utility firm moved owner’s old cars on to road
A court in Llandrindod Wells has issued an absolute discharge to a local man who faced two charges relating to uninsured vehicles after his old cars were pushed on to the public highway by a utilities contractor.
The 62‑year‑old, of Lakeside Avenue, had pleaded guilty to two counts of using a motor vehicle on the road without insurance on 31 August 2025. The offences concerned two different Volkswagen Lupo cars which had been parked on his drive for some time and were declared off the road (SORN).
At Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court the defendant represented himself and argued that he should not receive penalty points or a disqualification because he had not authorised the vehicles to be moved. He told magistrates that between July and September 2025 engineers from Wales and West Utilities arrived at his property as part of a safety upgrade and needed to dig up the drive to replace gas pipes following a leak.
“It’s turned me from being a lover of these old vehicles to hating the sight of them,” he said, adding that the legal fight had cost him about £5,000.
The utility contractor, he said, pushed the two Lupos on to the road one morning without his authority or his knowledge. They intended to return three days later to move them back on to the drive. The cars were untaxed and uninsured, and subsequently police officers who saw them on the road charged him with the offences.
Magistrates accept mitigation, decline to impose further penalty
Magistrates heard that the defendant had a clean driving record for decades and had attempted to arrange for someone else to move the cars, but could not find help. He said the stress of the events, and the cost of selling and storing the vehicles, had been considerable.
After considering his representations, the bench concluded he had done all that could reasonably be expected to prevent the cars being placed on the highway. They decided there was no justification for imposing any further punishment beyond what he had already endured, and granted an absolute discharge.
The outcome leaves the defendant without further immediate penalty, though the guilty pleas remain on record. He told the court he had begun selling the vehicles and that the experience had soured his enthusiasm for the cars he once treasured.
- Defendant: 62‑year‑old man, Lakeside Avenue, Llandrindod Wells
- Vehicles involved: two Volkswagen Lupos, untaxed and uninsured (SORN)
- Offence date: 31 August 2025
- Court decision: absolute discharge
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal fees and costs claimed | Approximately £5,000 |
| Driving record | Clean for 45 years (as stated in court) |
| Utility company | Wales and West Utilities |
The case raises local questions about how contractors manage vehicles on private property while working on essential infrastructure. Residents affected by similar works may wish to check communications from utilities about access to drives and parking arrangements ahead of planned excavations.
For this defendant, the legal conclusion will not erase the disruption. He said the experience has cost him financially and emotionally, turning a former hobby into something he no longer wishes to see. The bench’s decision reflects a balance between the clear legal requirement to have insurance for vehicles on the road and the particular circumstances that led to the cars being where they were.
Magistrates’ courts typically consider both the letter of the law and mitigating circumstances. In this instance, they accepted that the defendant had not actively put the vehicles on the public highway and that he had attempted to resolve the situation before police attendance.
Members of the public with concerns about similar incidents can seek advice from legal clinics or motoring law specialists, and should keep records of communications with contractors and any third parties who move property on their behalf.
