Fixed Charge Penalty Notices Not Received

Speed Camera Vans

Judge Mary Devins dismissed two cases taken against motorists over in Castlebar, Co Mayo last week. The accused had been supposedly detected breaking speed limits by Ireland’s new speed camera van system.

The two defendants informed the court that they had never received fixed penalty notices in the post, informing them that they had been detected speeding and therefore did not pay the imposed fine.

Mr Padraic Sammon of Go Safe Ireland, latter which operates these speed camera vans, giving evidence to the court, explained that always at the end of his daily shift, he submits all the information to his headquarters, which in turn forwards this on to the Garda department located in Thurles, Co Tipperary, which then communicates a ‘Fixed Charge Penalty Notice,’ to offenders where applicable.

Judge Devins having heard the defendants excuses, informed the court: “I have no evidence that these fixed charge notices are issued, it’s putting a huge presumption on me that they are. This is a huge issue, I’m not in a position to just rubber stamp that they are.”

Gardaí are understood to have then withdrawn a third prosecution against another accused motorist, because of the judge’s ruling in the two previous cases, thus saving valuable court time.