If he was fined in a magistrates' court he does have a criminal record. A conviction automatically confers that.
The record remains with him for life but for offences where a fine was imposed the conviction becomes "spent" after five years (or two and a half years if he was 17 or under at the time of conviction).
Records are not confirmed in writing by the courts. If he was present when fined he would have been expected to have noted the details. If he was convicted in his absence the notification of the fine is all he will receive.