A judge admitted in Dublin Circuit Court yesterday that he had driven his car without valid road tax. After listening to the problems of a company director in having one of his lorries included on his haulier's licence, Judge Kevin Haugh said he had experienced a delay in renewing his road tax with his local authority. "I submitted my car tax documents two weeks before the renew al date," the judge said, "and did not receive them back until three weeks after the tax had expired. Through no fault of mine, I was driving around with no road tax."
North East Logistics Ltd, of Dunleer, Co Louth, was appealing a £750 fine for using a lorry which had not been included on the company's haulier's licence. An incomplete registration it had submitted to Shannon was returned and the process had to be repeated be fore the authorities would add the vehicle to the haulier's licence. In the meantime the company had used the unlicensed lorry, which was stopped by gardai. Judge Haugh reduced the fine to £10.