Seven drivers get €15K fine each for not paying toll
A JUDGE has given seven motorists fines totalling €105,000 after they ignored court prosecutions and thousands of warning letters over unpaid M50 tolls.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the State agency dealing with road and public transport infrastructure, summonsed them to appear at Dublin District Court yesterday.
However, they did not attend their hearings, which went ahead in their absence, and Judge Anthony Halpin handed out fines of €15,000 in each case.
He also ordered the motorists, five males and two females, to pay €350 in prosecution costs.
Record
Each driver was a regular private car owner, with five sample counts for unpaid tolls in January and February this year.
TII also outlined each motorist’s overall record of unpaid charges and the number of warning letters sent before court proceedings commenced.
Judge Halpin noted the types of vehicles, their records of outstanding charges and that most of them made no effort to pay.
TII mailed hundreds of warning letters to most defendants before bringing the court prosecutions, which can carry a potential jail sentence.
THE man who died in a tragic plane crash at the weekend has been named as Michael Flynn.
The married father-of-two tragically lost his life after the microlight aircraft he was piloting crashed in a field on Sunday.
The incident happened at around 4.45pm near Miltown Malbay in Co Clare.
A number of emergency units rushed to the scene but Michael was tragically pronounced dead there.
Michael was a plumber, understood to be in his 60s, who was well-known in the local community.
Husband
A death notice on RIP.ie read: “Michael Flynn, Kilcorcoran, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, [died] following a tragic accident. “Beloved husband of Helen and loving father of Aoife & Oisin. “Deeply regretted by his loving wife and children, brother Joe, sisters Carmel, Helen & Bernie, brother in law Dan, sister in law Bernie, niece Amy, nephew Ian, relatives, neighbours and friends.”
Clare Councillor Shane Talty said: “Speaking with people in Miltown, I know they are deeply affected and there’s deep shock and upset but they will come together and support the family.”
The Air Accident Investigation Unit examined the scene. It said: “Two inspectors...are deploying to the scene to conduct a survey of the accident site and an initial technical examination.”