A haulage truck driver was found to be driving longer hours than was permitted by law, a court has been told. Virmantas Zebertavicius, with an address at Troytown Heights, Navan was prosecuted by the Road Safety Authority at Navan District court for four offences on 18th February last year. He represented himself in court. He pleaded guilty.
Prosecuting solicitor David McEntee said that following an inspection it was found that there had been a lot of driving without a driver’s card being used. On the date in question it was found that he hadn’t been using his driver’s card between 14.59 and 16.20. He was using a different diver’s card that he was putting into the machine in order to disguise the fact that he was driving longer than he should have been driving.
On a second date it was discovered that he had taken out his card at 1.52am until 12.38 that day. When the offences were put to him he admitted them and he said he had “a lot of bills to pay and a mortgage” and he had to work whatever hours he could.
The defendant said “I try to work to get more money” but Judge Eirinn McKiernan said “But you have to abide by the rules and regulations.” It was very, very serious to be driving excess hours in a heavy good vehicle, she said. The judge directed him to pay a donation of €300 to the Mcdar organisation in Meath along with €886 costs and struck out the case.
