A defective light drew police attention to a vehicle in the Rasharkin area and offences were detected.
The vehicle owner, Louis Keane, permitted no insurance and was also in possession of cannabis on June 5 this year.
The 18-year-old from the Edenmore area of Bendooragh, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday and was given six penalty points and a £200 fine.
The possession of a Class B drug charge was withdrawn for a caution.
Sam McCaughern (18), of Tullaghans Road, Finvoy, was driving the Seat Ibiza and he pleaded guilty to charges of using a vehicle without insurance; being an unaccompanied L driver and not having L plates displayed and was given six penalty points and a £250 fine.
A prosecutor said police first noted the driver to be wearing glasses but that when they spoke to the occupants the seating positions had been switched.
Keane’s defence barrister Ben Thompson said Keane had felt unfit to drive and it had been thought it was the “right idea” to get McCaughern to take the wheel and he now wished to apologise to the court.
McCaughern’s defence barrister Thomas McKeever said that “in the heat of the moment,” both defendants thought they were doing the right thing “but it was clearly a foolish decision”.
He said the defendant had now passed his test and was “embarrassed” at being in court and wished to apologise.
