Family’s disgust after pensioner with extreme dementia convicted over automotive insurance coverage mistake – which he cannot drive
A 77-year-old man from Middleton, Greater Manchester, was found guilty by Derby magistrates after DVLA prosecuted him over an uninsured Peugeot he stopped using following his diagnosis
The pensioner is said to be confused ‘most of the time’(Image: Getty)
A 77 year old dementia patient has been convicted for not insuring his car, which he is no longer able to drive.
The pensioner from Middleton, Greater Manchester, stopped using his Peugeot in December 2024 after being diagnosed with dementia. He was prosecuted via a controversial fast-track court system in Derby.
He was charged with not having insurance for his vehicle on August 12 last year.
Court papers show that the man is now “confused much of the time” and unable to manage his own affairs.
He doesn’t remember receiving a penalty from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about the uninsured car in August 2025. The DVLA decided to prosecute when the fine went unpaid, reports the Mirror.
His brother only became aware of the situation when the DVLA started criminal proceedings earlier this month. Despite sending a letter to the court explaining the circumstances behind the unpaid fine, it wasn’t enough to halt the prosecution.
Last Thursday, a magistrate in Derby found the man guilty of keeping a motor vehicle without the necessary insurance.
The case was dealt with under the Single Justice Procedure (SJP), a streamlined court system where magistrates meet privately to quickly deal with minor criminal cases.
The SJP framework was brought in as a cost-cutting measure in 2015. The system means that prosecutors such as the DVLA are unable to view correspondence from defendants when it’s submitted to the court.
Chances to abandon cases that no longer benefit the public interest are regularly missed.
The Government recognises worries about the Single Justice Procedure and continues to examine responses from a consultation on possible changes which ended in May 2025.
“(He) is a 77-year-old pensioner who is suffering from severe dementia,” the brother wrote.
“He was officially diagnosed in December 2024. He was advised not to drive from then on.”
The brother detailed that around Spring 2025, he agreed to purchase the car from the pensioner and had organised for it to have a new MOT.
The pensioner hadn’t been behind the wheel at all in 2025, but mistakenly told a doctor during a medical evaluation that he “is still driving”.
“The severity of his dementia causes memory loss resulting in him being confused much of the time,” the brother said.
“He is now incapable of managing his affairs to any degree and therefore I have only just become aware of this issue.
“(He) has no recollection of receiving any letters regarding this.”
The brother disclosed he is trying to obtain Power of Attorney to enable him to handle the pensioner’s matters. Magistrate Louise Hammond accepted a guilty plea put forward on his behalf by his brother, opting for a six-month conditional discharge in lieu of a fine.
Even though a guilty plea was submitted and accepted by the court, the DVLA still holds the right to request the case be reopened.
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