A STATES police officer has been fined £1,500 for careless driving while on duty.
The Magistrate’s Court heard that 23-year-old Thomas Jeremy Bolton was in a police car when he collided with a black van on the junction of Claremont Road and Bagatelle Road, near Jersey College for Girls, at 4.20pm on 1 May.
Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, said Bolton crossed the yellow line, coming into the path of the van. Both vehicles suffered minor damage but no one was injured.
Bolton admitted failing to check the carriageway was clear, and Advocate Giles Emmanuel, defending, told the court: “He was candid and co-operative. He admitted the offence immediately.”
He added that Bolton had been travelling at a low speed and there had been no pedestrians in the area.
He also quoted from a reference written by a police inspector, which described Bolton as “a trusted team member”.
Relief Magistrate Nuno Santos-Costa decided not to ban the police officer from driving, saying: “I accept this was a temporary lapse of concentration that can, and does, happen to anyone.”
He allowed Bolton to pay the fine at a rate of £300 per month.
