24/06/2008

Man Charged For 'Gross Overloading' His Vehicle

A man has been found guilty of dangerous driving after being caught by police with 13 people in his vehicle.

Abraham Gniwosch, 31, from Tottenham, north London, was flagged down by officers while driving near Llandudno in north Wales last August.

Apart from Gniwosch, police found a man and a child sitting the front passenger seat of the Volvo S70 and 10 others sitting or standing in the back.

Gniwosch pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving and told Llandudno magistrates that he had been travelling at no more than 20 mph.

Traffic policeman, Pc Roger Brazel said that when he pulled Gniwoschs' vehicle over there were two women with infants in their laps and six young children in the centre of the back seat. None of the passengers were wearing a belt.

Gniwosch, who works as a teacher, has received a 12 month driving ban, been fined a total of £900 including costs and has been ordered to take an extended driving test.

Magistrates heard how his Volvo S70 was meant to carry five passengers only and the prosecution asked for the car to be confiscated. However the magistrates decided against it.

Chairman of the bench, Sandra Walker said that it was "a very unusual case of gross overloading where a financial penalty was appropriate".

She added that the court had taken into account Gniwosch's good character.

The defendant said in court that he is a "slow driver" and "it was silly" what he had done but "not dangerous".

(DS)

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