Did u-turn at Laois checkpoint

A court ‘took a dim view” of the actions of a woman who did a u-turn at a checkpoint in Laois 

Louise Bates-Coss, 20, with an address at 50 Ardan Glas, Portlaoise was accused of driving uninsured and Jakub Grobelny, 19, of 67 Cill Beg Manor, Stradbally was accused of allowing his vehicle be used by an uninsured driver on the N80 at Kylebeg on January 27 last.

The court heard the defendants stopped short of a checkpoint and a “did a u-turn” and gardai followed and stopped the car which was being driven by the female defendant. 

The male defendant was the front seat passenger. He told gardai he had only recently purchased the vehicle. Both defendants had valid insurance policies but the woman wasn't insured on the vehicle. It  belonged to the male defendant as he had just purchased it, the court heard. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick described the incident as “extremely foolish”  and said the woman was insured in her own vehicle which she uses to commute to college. She said the woman was trying the man’s new car when they came on the checkpoint. 

“She panicked, Judge,” Ms Fitzpatrick explained.  

She said both defendants were students. The man is studying finance in UL while the woman is studying in Carlow. Neither defendant has any previous convictions, the court was told.

Judge John O’Leary said they should each be disqualified from driving for two years for not having insurance. 

“They are both students Judge. Their incomes are low,” said Ms Fitzpatrick.

“The court takes a dim view that she did a u-turn,” Judge O’Leary said. He imposed a €150 fine and a three month disqualification on the woman. 

The man was fined €150 but no disqualification was imposed.