Motorist fined €350 for driving while on phone after failing to pay fixed charge notice
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A MAN was fined €350 after he failed to pay a fixed charge notice for driving while on his mobile phone despite receiving two warnings to do so.
Dermot O’Hara (52) with an address at Killamster, Carlow was fined in his absence at a sitting of Carlow District Court.
On 24 July 2025 at approximately 11.45am, Garda Alan Kavanagh was on patrol at Castledermot, Co Kildare when he observed a man driving a black Honda Accord holding a mobile phone in his right hand.
Garda Kavanagh pulled the car over and the driver gave his name as Dermot O’Hara. A fixed charge notice was issued; however, Mr O’Hara failed to make payment on it despite being warned on two occasions to do so.
The court heard that Mr O’Hara, who was not present at the sitting, has six previous convictions under the Road Traffic Act, two of which were for mobile phone use while driving, with the most recent dating back to 15 April 2015 at Wexford District Court.
Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted and fined Mr O’Hara €350, to be paid within 90 days.
