Court orders driving lessons for a very ‘happy’ motorist caught speeding in Tipperary

A man caught speeding has been ordered to take driving lessons at Thurles District Court.

Vladut Cosma, 45 of 3 Meadow Lands, Bandon Court was charged with dangerous driving on September 3, 2020 at The Islands, Urlingford, Kilkenny.

The court was told that on that date, a guard operating a mobile speed detection device detected the defendant driving at 177km in a 120km area.

The guard ‘caught up’ with Mr Cosma and arrested him. Mr Cosma told the court, when asked by his solicitor Brian Hughes, that he did not realise his speed.

He told the court that he had just flown back, and it was at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Basically, I was way too happy to get back,” said Mr Cosma. He said he was a mechanic but lost his job and was now attending college in Cork.

A disqualification, he told the court, would have serious consequences as there was not adequate public transport to allow him to continue his studies.

Mr Hughes said his client had co-operated fully with the gardaí and had no previous convictions.

He asked the judge not to impose a disqualification.

Judge Elizabeth Macgrath said it was “very high speed” but noted his co-operation.

She asked the arresting guard about road conditions.

The garda told the court that it was a dry day with “reasonable traffic” and good visibility.

Judge MacGrath said she was ordering the defendant to attend a driving training course to “drive home the issue”.

She remanded the matter back to March 2024 when she would consider Mr Hughes’ application not to impose a disqualification.