Luke Poots was fined for using his phone while driving a tractor

Poots denied the allegation and testified on his own behalf.

He told the judge he spoke to his father, DUP MP and Speaker of the Assembly Edwin Poots, on the phone, checked he was using the hands-free phone.

“I said of course,” Poots recounted.

According to Poots, the officers would not have been able to see if he was holding his hand in front of his chest because of the height difference between a tractor and the police car.

“I was hands free and it’s easy to say someone wasn’t,” he told the court.

But the judge ruled that the police officers “were very clear and their movements were very indicative of exactly what they saw”.

After imposing the fine and four-month driving ban along with a £15 offender charge, the judge granted bail pending an appeal but did not give Poots permission to drive pending an appeal.