Man blamed his mother for wife’s speeding offence

A man who pretended his mother — who lives in Belgium — was driving the family car, so that his wife might avoid another set of penalty points, has been charged with giving false information under the Road Traffic Acts.

Bruno Schmidt, of The Peaks, Cappanacush East, Kenmare, pleaded guilty to the charge yesterday at Kenmare District Court.

Representing himself, Schmidt, who runs a limousine business, told the court he panicked when the speeding notice arrived.

The family car was detected by cameras travelling at 73km/h in a 60km/h zone at Killowen, Kenmare, on Jun 25, 2012.

When the fixed charge notice for speeding arrived Mr Schmidt, the registered owner, said he and his wife Sandra, who had been driving on the occasion, panicked about the prospect of receiving penalty points as she had already been detected for a penalty point-related motoring offence just days previously.

He wrote to the administration office saying it was his mother who was driving, and giving her address.

However, when his mother, Maria Hallert, received the notice in Belgium, she wrote back to the administrators, saying she was not in Ireland at the time.

Gardaí in Kenmare were alerted and when they spoke to Schmidt, who has a clean record, he admitted what he had done.

Judge James O’Connor told Schmidt he accepted it was a panic situation and said he could understand it, but added that the “nasty” aspect was saying it was his mother who was driving.

Schmidt, who said he drives limousines for corporate clients, was told he might be given the benefit of the probation act and avoid conviction after he offered to pay €750 into the court poor box by Sep 6.

“You will get one chance only to pay the contribution,” the judge warned.

The judge also told him that it was “amadánach” to involve his mother “and pretend it was her”.

“I’ll give her flowers for her next birthday,” Schmidt told the judge.

Sandra Schmidt pleaded guilty on Mar 1 to the speeding offence of Jun 25 and avoided conviction after volunteering to pay €200 into the court poor box.