Dismissed! Limerick motorists caught speeding avoid penalty points as cases are thrown out

A NUMBER of motorists who were caught speeding at different locations in Limerick over the past 12 months have avoided convictions and penalty points after several prosecutions were dismissed.

The majority of the cases before Kilmallock Court arose from detections made by the operators of GoSafe vans, which are deployed on roads across the city and county in conjunction with An Garda Siochana.

One woman who was travelling at 88km/h in an 80km/h zone at Friarstown Grange on March 14, 2025 said she was driving a rental car on the day and that she never received a fine or a letter in the post notifying her of the detection.

Dismissing the case, Judge Patricia Harney noted the form nominating the woman as the driver appeared to have been sent to her too late by the leasing company.

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In another case, the registered owner of a car which was detected travelling at 118km/h on the N18 at Ballinacurra, Limerick last February said he had sold the car three years ago but that the paperwork was never fully completed.

"It was only when the fine came through that I realised," the man told the court adding that he has made efforts to rectify matters since but had been "distracted" following two bereavements in his family.

Inspector Barry Manton accepted the evidence of the defendant and he noted his undertaking to ensure the paperwork is completed as soon as possible.

In a separate prosecution, Judge Harney heard evidence relating to a 10D-registered car that was detected travelling at 108km/h in a 80km/h zone on the R513, close to Herberstown village on March 8, 2025.

The registered owner of that car told the court he was at home and that a friend of his was driving the vehicle on the day.

Barrister Nicholas Hall said his client's friend is now living in the Canadian province of British Columbia and he submitted a sworn affidavit from him in which he confirms he was the driver.

The registered owner said he had tried to nominate his friend but that a mistake was made on the paperwork and that the follow-up letter went to his former address and that he did not receive it in time. 

Another GoSafe prosecution was dismissed after Insp Manton told the court he was "not in a position" to offer any evidence.

Of the seven speeding prosecutions listed before Kilmallock Court on October 21, just one resulted in a conviction. 

That motorist, who did not appear in court, was fined €250.