A MAN convicted of a traffic offence has had his punishment reduced on appeal.

James Watkiss, of Glenorchy Close, Holmes Chapel, was initially hit with a £1,000 court penalty for failing to give police information to identify a driver suspected of committing an offence.

The case against the 44-year-old was found proven after magistrates listened to the evidence at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on April 25.

A police officer had requested information relating to the identity of the driver of a Vauxhall vehicle on March 11, last year.

The driver was alleged to have been guilty of an offence.

At the April hearing Watkiss was fined £660 and ordered to pay £264 victim surcharge and £90 costs, a total of £1,014.

But after the defendant asked the court to relook into the case and review the penalty, he appeared before Chester magistrates.

On July 31, Watkiss re-entered his guilty plea for the same offence at Chester Magistrates’ Court.

This time, the defendant was fined £461 and ordered to pay £184 victim surcharge and £110 costs, a reduction of £259 on the original penalty.

His driving licence was endorsed with six points.

Magistrates took his guilty plea into consideration when imposing the sentence.

Watkiss was granted permission to pay the revised £755 court penalty in £126 monthly instalments starting on August 30.