176kph hotelier pays €10,000 to escape ban   

A HOTELIER who was caught doing 176kph on a motorway near Portlaoise has avoided a driving ban, after paying €10,000 to the court poor box.

Judge Andrew Cody said last Thursday that the money would go to the victims of serious assaults who suffered life-changing injuries, whose cases had been heard at Portlaoise Circuit Criminal Court the previous week.

The hotelier came to court with €5,000 as a token of apology but Judge Cody told him that he would have to double that amount.

At Portlaoise District Court, the 57-year-old driver admitted exceeding the 120kph motorway speed limit by 56kph on the M7 motorway, on 13 October 2024.

Frazer Bell, 21 Sea View, Skegness, East Midlands, England pleaded guilty to careless driving and driving without insurance. 

A charge of dangerous driving was reduced to careless driving on the application of his solicitor.

Garda O’Hanlon gave evidence that he recorded Mr Bell doing 176kph at Ballydavis shortly after 10am, while carrying out a radar speed check on the motorway. 

It was a dry morning and visibility was good.

When he pursued the car, the driver pulled in straight away and was very cooperative. 

Mr Bell was arrested for dangerous driving and was brought to Portlaoise garda station. He was released later on €250 cash bail.

Garda O’Hanlon said the hotelier was driving back to Dublin Airport at the time in a rental vehicle, which was rented by his daughter. She became unwell so he took over the driving.

Mr Bell’s defence solicitor said his client swapped places behind the wheel with his ill daughter shortly before he was stopped by gardaí. 

He had been driving for 15 or 20 minutes at the time of the speed check. He had insurance on another vehicle but was not insured to drive the rental car, because it was registered in his daughter’s name.

Garda O’Hanlon did not oppose the solicitor’s application to reduce the charge from dangerous to careless driving, saying that it was in the court’s hands.

The solicitor added that the defendant owns a number of businesses and hotels in the north of England and employs about 150 people, dropping to 50 in the off-season. He had brought €5,000 to court as a token of apology.

Judge Cody remarked, “I suggest that he will have to do better than that. He will have to double that.” 

The solicitor pointed out that Mr Bell had travelled to court from outside the jurisdiction, so he would have difficulty producing the cash that day.

The judge replied, “I am not negotiating. I will give him time but I am not negotiating. I can adjourn it for one month for him to pay €10,000 to the court poor box.” 

The solicitor returned to court shortly afterwards and handed in €10,000. 

Judge Cody said the money would go to three victims of serious assaults who suffered life-changing injuries, in cases which were heard in the circuit court the previous week.

The solicitor asked Judge Cody not to disqualify his client from driving, as it would be very detrimental to his business and he cares for his elderly mother.

The solicitor also pointed out that Mr Bell had no previous convictions.

The judge imposed a €500 fine for driving without insurance and €250 for careless driving but did not impose a disqualification.

The solicitor handed in €750 to cover the fines together with €10,000, before thanking the judge and leaving the courtroom.