Motorist who overtook off-duty garda is put off the road
The motorist overtook an off-duty garda
A MOTORIST who was in a hurry to get home and who unknowingly overtook an off-duty garda was fined and disqualified from driving when he appeared before Carlow District Court last week. Mohammad Nawaz, 2 Graigowen, Tullow pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving arising from an incident that occurred at Grange, Tullow on 2 July 2024.
Sgt Peter Smyth told the court that an off-duty garda had just collected her child from GAA training and was returning home when she had to slow down behind a tractor. He continued that a driver behind her overtook her and the tractor, even though there was oncoming traffic, causing one driver to flash their lights as a warning.
Solicitor Chris Hogan told Judge Geraldine Carthy that Mr Nawaz worked as a security guard for 12 years in Dublin and that he was “anxious to get home” on the day in question. He continued that his client had two young children and that his wife didn’t drive, so he needed his licence.
Judge Carthy said that it was “very fortunate” that Mr Nawaz had been charged with careless driving and not the more serious offence of dangerous driving and that he hadn’t caused an accident She then disqualified him from driving for three months and fined him €500.
