Co Kildare solicitor slams system of posting speeding fines

A Co Kildare solicitor is  strongly criticising the system of sending speeding fines by unregistered post claiming that currently there is 'no way of knowing' if the notices have been served or not.

Hillary Mannion, 117 The Rise, MountMerrion, Co Dublin, appeared at Naas District Court, charged with driving at a speed of 120km/hr in a 100km zone at Greenhills, Kill, on January 10, 2014.

Mannion, whose husband was driving the car at the time, told the court that he admits he was driving at 120km/hr, but never received the fine by post.

She told the court that that post has gone missing before and that she did not know about a wedding invitation being posted until her niece told her.

Supt Martin Walker asked her if she had checked with her two children, also residing in the house, if they had seen the penalty notice.

Mannion said that she had not checked with her children.

Defence Solicitor, Tony Hanahoe said: "There is no way of knowing, if they got it or not. It would save courts up and down the country a lot of money if the post was registered. For an extra €5,there is no way of proving that this document was sent. She has no previous convictions, it was her husband driving the car and she has to suffer the consequences."

Judge Desmond Zaidan convicted and fined Mannion €300.