A DARLINGTON man has been ordered to pay £30 compensation for a pair of trainers he stole from TK Maxx.

Liam Christon, 27, of High Northgate, admitted the theft when he appeared before Darlington Magistrates’ Court today (Tuesday, May 7). 

The court heard he was having problems with his benefit payments last month when he walked out of the shop with the Fred Perry trainers and left his old pair on the shelf.

In addition to the compensation order, Christon was given a 12-month conditional discharge and told to pay £40 court costs and £15 victim surcharge.

DRIVING without insurance has cost a Darlington woman almost £400 in court fines.

Michaela Mullen, 26, of Coniscliffe Road, pleaded guilty to driving her Ford Ka without insurance in Bishop Auckland in February.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court fined her a total of £385 and endorsed her licence with six points.

A MOTORIST whose car was on the road without an MOT and with tyre and light defects has been fined £470 in court.

Remigiusz Stanislaw, 38, of Sutcliffe Court, Darlington, admitted to driving his car with illegal tyre tread, faulty lights and without an MOT certificate.

He was stopped by officers on Beaumont Hill in February and this week magistrates fined him a total of £470 and added three points to his licence.