28 Motorists Fined Over €400K For Dodging M50 Tolls

Monday, 20 March 2023 17:20

By Caoimhe Harney

The Judge handed down fines ranging from 6,000 to 25,000 euro

Some 28 motorists have been fined 417,500 euro after they failed to appear in court and ignored hundreds of warning letters about dodging M50 tolls.

The prosecutions at Dublin District Court included eight commercial vehicle owners handed fines between €19,000 and €25,000.

Today, the Judge described those who didn't show up to face him a "gross insult" to the court.

They were prosecuted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland at the Dublin District Court.

Most of these cases had been adjourned from last month, when the same Judge expressed concerns about the number of no-shows who end up getting fined in their absence.

Today, out of 43 cases listed, 13 were adjourned, and one was struck out.

The single defendant who came to plead guilty was described by the judge as a "rare exception" and given credit for how he met the case.

He was spared hefty fines and just ordered to pay 350 euro in costs after the judge noted that he had not been getting warning letters about his outstanding tolls due to marital breakdown.

However, the remaining 28 proceeded in the absence of the motorists concerned.

The Judge said, "It is a gross insult and disrespect to the court process" for 28 people not to appear.

The Judge handed down fines ranging from 6,000 to 25,000 euro, and ordered them to pay 350 euro in prosecution costs within six months.

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