Singer Mumba in court over driving charges
The singer was charged with five separate offences on the M1 motorway at Santry, north Dublin, on November 22, 2004.
Dublin District Court was told she was charged with failing to provide a driving licence and tax insurance, having no driving licence or insurance and not having road tax.
When her case was called, the 22-year-old approached the court and said: “I have documents, I was fully insured and I have tax documents.”
Judge Aingeal Ní Chondúin asked her to hand over the documents to the prosecuting officer, Garda John Faherty of Coolock Station.
Gda Faherty looked at the documentation and told the judge there was “nothing to prove” that the accused was taxed on the date of the alleged offences.
He said there was no certificate of tax, but said the insurance document was in order.
Judge Ní Chondúin asked the garda about the alleged driving licence offences.
Ms Mumba told the court she had a receipt showing she had applied for a renewal of her licence.
“I did have a licence, I didn’t have it on me at the time,” she said.
She said she was looking for her licence to be renewed and was still waiting.
Gda Faherty said the receipt showed she had applied for a renewal.
Judge Ní Chondúin asked Ms Mumba if she wanted time to produce her old driving licence and tax documents.
Ms Mumba said she preferred to go ahead with the case yesterday.
Judge Ní Chondúin said such a decision might be “of consequence” and said she would give her a chance to produce the documents.
She struck out the insurance charges.
She adjourned the case to September 21.
Ms Mumba, dressed in a black top, black shirt and brown boots, stood during the brief hearing.
The singer shot to prominence at the age of 17 when she was discovered by Louis Walsh, the pop guru who also brought Boyzone and Westlife to international fame.
She released several hit singles and also began an acting career, starring in the recent Hollywood adaptation of HG Wells’s The Time Machine.
She is due to appear as a drug addict in a gangster film, Johnny Was, starring former Wimbledon footballer Vinnie Jones and The Who’s front-man Roger Daltrey. The film is being shot in London and Belfast.
