An Inishowen woman caught speeding in her BMW car in Drumfries last year has been fined €320 in court.
Linda Skelly, of Benduff, Carndonagh, did not appear before Buncrana District Court to answer a charge of driving at excessive speed against her.
However, Judge Eiteain Cunningham directed that the case could go ahead, after she was shown evidence that the defendant had been informed of the proceedings.
“Ms Skelly is not present in court, nor has she instructed a solicitor to attend on her behalf. I am satisfied that she has received the summons as served, and in the circumstances, I’m going to proceed in her absence,” the judge ruled.
A GoSafe operator gave evidence in the matter. He told the court how he had been operating a ‘speed detection cart’ along the R238 regional road at Owenboy, Drumfries on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
He said the speed limit at that location was 80 kilometres per hour.
At 8.18pm that evening, he detected a 132-D-registered car, a BMW 5 Series, travelling at 103 kilometres per hour in the 80kph zone.
The GoSafe operator returned to base and alerted control, following which a fixed charge penalty notice was issued to Ms Skelly, but it was not paid.
He handed in a certificate to prove it.
After hearing the evidence, Judge Cunningham said she was “satisfied the facts have been proven”.
She convicted Ms Skelly of the motoring offence and fined her the sum of €320, allowing a deadline of five months to pay.