Speeding cases thrown out as drivers ‘didn’t receive notices’
Most of the motorists summoned to Limerick District Court claimed they had not been previously notified of the alleged offences.
Judge Eamon O’Brien was told, in most of the cases, the defendants had not received fixed penalty notices in the post.
Gardaí, it emerged, may investigate the circumstances which led to the dismissal of so many of the cases.
The judge said it was “very strange” that so many people had not received the fixed penalty notices and indicated he may have to ask An Post to come to court.
A total of 39 cases were brought before the court yesterday. Three offenders were fined €100 each while a number had their cases adjourned until September.
However, more than half the cases were dismissed.
The mobile safety camera initiative was introduced last year. The van-mounted cameras are operated by civilians for a private company, GoSafe.
It complements Garda-led enforcement measures such as handheld and tripod mounted laser guns, Puma speed detection equipment in both marked and unmarked vehicles and van-mounted automatic speed detection radars.
The cases were the first such batch of prosecutions before Limerick District Court. Many of the offenders, among the 39 listed cases, advised Judge O’Brien they had not received fixed penalty notices in the post.
Summonses had been issued in the cases after the vehicle owners involved had not paid a fixed fine. Under speeding laws, penalty points are also imposed.
The summonses related to alleged detections made between December and January on main roadways near Limerick including the Shannon dual carriageway.
All the detection cases before the court were made by vans operated by GoSafe.
Fines were imposed in only three cases.
The GoSafe scheme provides 6,000 enforcement hours and 1,475 survey hours per month across the country.
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