A short man claimed to be a victim of his lack of height when he was caught driving without a seat belt.

Abdullah Furqan, 71, of Devonshire, was stopped by the Police on Court Street, Hamilton, at 11.35 p.m on May 6.

According to prosecutor Cindy Clarke, his car was swerving across the road, he was not wearing a seat belt, and he came to an abrupt stop at a stoplight.

When asked by the Police if he had been drinking, Furqan replied: "I drink all day every day." He also told the officers: "You need to stop harassing me."

He pleaded guilty at Magistrates' Court to failing to give a breath sample and driving without a seat belt.

However, he claimed he has a good reason for not wearing a seat belt and has written to the Premier, Ombudsman and Police to explain. "As you will notice, I am kind of short. The seat belt does not fit around my body, it fits around my neck," he told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner. "With it around my neck, if I stop short I'm likely to end up with a broken neck. I explained to them some time ago why I do not use a seat belt, because it does pose a threat to my life."

Furqan also told Mr. Warner he's a herbalist, and when he told the Police he drinks all day, he meant water and herbal teas, not alcohol.

The Magistrate made no reply to Furqan's protests, but meted out a $1,000 fine, 12 month driving ban and ten demerit points for failing to give a breath sample, plus $100 for not wearing a seat belt.

Joining Furqan in court on a separate matter was Tyrone Burgess, 35, who was stopped by Police on Kindley Field Road, St. George's, at 10.55 p.m on May 7.

According to Ms Clarke, he'd been riding his motorcycle erratically and causing other vehicles to swerve out of his way.

Asked if he'd been drinking, Burgess, from St. George's, admitted: "I had a few." When he was arrested, he told the Police: "You guys are f*****g a**holes."

He pleaded guilty to impaired driving when he appeared at Magistrates' Court and apologised for his actions. Mr. Warner fined him $1,000, banned him from the roads for a year and meted out 12 penalty points.

Also in court was Elliott Furbert, 25, also from St. George's, who was caught by the Police on St. David's Road at 2.25 a.m on May 8.

According to Ms Clarke, he was riding his motorcycle dangerously when they spotted him. A breath-test after his arrest showed 145 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood almost twice the legal limit of 80 milligrams. Furbert pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He received the same punishment as Burgess when he appeared at Magistrates' Court.