Portlaoise Court: Judge said woman was ‘driving around blind’
Portlaoise Courthouse
JUDGE Andrew Cody said that a woman who was driving around in her car with heavily tinted windows may as well have had them painted black when her case came before him last week.
At Portlaoise District Court Aine Mary Delaney from Old Forge Crescent, Mountrath pleaded guilty to the offence that took place at Railway Street in Portlaoise on 9 June last.
The court was told that at 6.15pm that evening gardaí tested Ms Delaney’s car windows and found them to be under the permissible tint levels to allow light in and that a fixed charge penalty notice was issued, but went unpaid.
Asked by Judge Cody what the tint level was he was told it was 16% (should be at least 65%) to which he commented: “She was driving around blind. She couldn’t see traffic from out her left or right hand side windows. She might as well of had her car windows painted black.”
Defending solicitor Philip Meagher said that while his 19-year old client was pleading guilty to the offence she was unable to be in court as she was working in a local bookmakers shop.
“Ninteen years of age and driving around in a BMW. If you see them driving around town like I do, they are lethal,” said Judge Cody.
He went on to adjourn the case to 16 January.
