Mistakenly pleaded not guilty at Portlaoise court

A man who mistakenly pleaded not guilty to using a mobile phone while driving a tractor was fined €250. 

Rian Daniel Martin, 19, of Ballybeg, Littleton, Thurles was stopped for using a mobile phone while driving a Fendt tractor on the Abbeyleix Road in Portlaoise on June 21 this year. 

Judge Andrew Cody asked the man how he was pleading and he said not guilty. 

However, after hearing the Garda’s evidence that he had made admissions after being stopped in the tractor on the date, the defendant said: “I should have pleaded guilty.” 

Judge Cody enquired about the size and type of tractor the man was driving. “You would kill before you if you were distracted,” Judge Cody remarked. He fined the man €250.