A man was ordered to pay almost $7,000 in traffic fines yesterday for offences that happened over several years.

Eugene Bassett, 36, was given an indefinite amount of time during Magistrates’ Court to settle $6,750 in traffic tickets.

Bassett pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts each of riding a motorcycle without a licence, riding an unlicensed motorcycle and riding an uninsured vehicle.

The offences took place on November 16, 2022, and December 15, 2022, on North Shore Road in Devonshire.

Bassett also pleaded guilty to riding while disqualified on December 15, 2022.

The court heard that Bassett, from Hamilton Parish, had been banned from riding for 18 months in November that year.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the offences and was set to have a trial on April 10 but failed to appear.

He was brought back yesterday on a warrant and changed his plea.

The court heard that Bassett also had $1,650 worth of unpaid parking tickets spanning several years.

Bassett told the court that he applied to convert his fines into community service, but “never heard back from anyone” when he contacted the court.

Magistrate Maria Sofianos fined Bassett $1,500 for each count of riding without insurance, $350 for each count of riding an unlicensed motorcycle, and $200 for each count of riding without a licence.

She also fined him $1,000 for riding while disqualified, totalling his newest fines to $5,100, and banned him from riding all motorcycles for 18 months.

Ms Sofianos said that Bassett had “an appalling record for paying and showing up to court”.

She ordered him to return to court on June 30 to ensure he had made progress on his payments and released him on $4,000 bail with two sureties.

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