Judge expresses sympathy with teenage R driver caught speeding on M1 motorway
A teenager who drove at 79mph on the motorway despite being a restricted driver, has been fined and given penalty points by Lisburn Magistrates Court.
Oisin McCartney-Hall, 18, whose address was given as Derryveagh Drive in Belfast, appeared before the court charged with being an R driver exceeding 45mph.
The court heard that on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 12.10pm, police were conducting checks of speed on the M1 at Moira.
They recorded the Ford Fiesta being driven by the defendant travelling at 79mph, in excess of the 45mph speed limit imposed on R drivers.
A defence lawyer told the court the defendant “accepted responsibility for this offending”.
She continued: “He understands he should not have been driving at the speed he was and that it was reckless behaviour.”
During sentencing, District Judge Rosie Watters said: “If you are on the motorway driving at 45mph in truth you may be causing more of a hazard.
"Obviously he shouldn’t have been going that far over the limit.
"I have some sympathy for R drivers on the motorway. I think there should be some sort of an allowance for that.”
Ms Watters imposed a fine of £100, an offender’s levy of £15, and endorsed the defendant’s driving licence with four penalty points.
Ms Watters told the defendant: “I hope this is a wake-up call. You don’t want to ever be back before the court again in the future.
"Other judges might not take the view that I do. Drive safely and do not come before the court again.”