Woman caught speeding on her way to Mondello Park
Portloaise Courthouse
JUDGE Andrew Cody said he was not reducing a summons of dangerous driving, to careless driving when he heard that a woman was driving to Mondello Park at a speed of 168kph with her young daughter beside her in her car.
He made his decision at Portlaoise District Court, when Rachael Luxford, 30 Rathgoggin Place, Charleville, Co Cork was before him for dangerous driving on 1 September last on the M7 at Ballydavis, Portlaoise.
Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her client “was bringing her daughter to Mondello Park”, to which Judge Cody said: “She thought that she was in Mondello Park.”
Ms Fitzpatrick said that her 24-year old client was driving a car on the day that she had just purchased and that “there was more horsepower in it than it had been made for”.
Ms Fitzpatrick asked Judge Cody to consider reducing the summons to careless driving, to which he replied – “168km. It’s too high. I’m not reducing it.”
He went on to convict Ms Luxford of the offence, fined her €300 and disqualified her from driving for two years. He also fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.
