L driver was caught doing 167km on Laois motorway
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A LEARNER permit holder who was caught driving at a speed of 167km on the motorway through Laois was back before last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court.
At the last sitting of the case, the court heard that while on mobile patrol on 19 March at 1.35pm that day, gardaí stopped a car that being driven by Jessica Collins (25), 14 Waterfront Apartments, French Church Street, Portarlington after it was detected driving at a speed of 167km. On speaking with the driver, a garda was informed that she was driving on a learner permit.
Arising from the incident Ms Collins, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and to driving on a learner permit on the motorway at Cappakeel, Portlaoise that day.
Gardaí had consented to the charges of dangerous driving being reduced to careless driving.
Her solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that at the time she was stopped driving by gardaí, Ms Collins’ then partner had been in the car with her but had been disqualified from driving at the time.
Judge Andrew Cody remanded Ms Colins on continuing bail to the 10 September sitting of the court and instructed that she take part in a pro-social driving programme and to provide evidence that she had applied for a driving test.
When the case resumed last week, Ms Collins handed in her certificate of completion of the pro-social driving programme.
Judge Cody convicted her of careless driving and imposed a €400 fine. She was also fined €100 for not having a full driving licence at the time.
* Driving on a motorway is an offence for learner permit holders, regardless of whether a fully licenced driver is accompanying them. An accompanying driver must hold a current, valid, full driving licence for the vehicle category they are supervising in and must have held that licence for a continuous period of at least two years.
