A man has been sentenced to 80-hours community service and banned from driving for three months for having caused an accident on just half an hour after a magistrate had declared him unfit to drive. On February 14 2022 the man appeared before the Police Court in Halle (Flemish Brabant). The magistrate declared the man unfit to drive his car. However, this fell on deaf ears and just half an hour the man was involved in an accident…on the car park of the courthouse.
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Man causes an accident half an hour after a court had declared him unfit to drive
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Magistrate Dina Van Laethem’s verdict was very clear "You arrived here by car on February 14, 2022. At 9:10 a.m. my fellow judge declared you unfit to drive, which means that you were no longer allowed to drive from that moment on. But you did so regardless and must face the consequences that that entails.
Prosecutor Kris Boelens witnessed the accident He said that he did not understand why the man still got behind the wheel of his car after the verdict. "The judge clearly explained to you that you were not allowed to drive. I was even there when he told you."
Hard of hearing
In his defence, the man stated that he did not know that the judge's decision was with immediate effect. He also said that he is hard of hearing.
Taking into account the man’s 14 previous convictions the judge had wanted to impose a 4,000 -euro fine. However, when the defendant said that he could not pay that amount, the judge gave him 80 hours community service instead. In addition, the man must also surrender his driving license for three months.