Fine for driver's make-up offence

Maddock was caught by a mobile speed camera van and the images were shown to the court. Enlarge Image

A motorist has been fined after being caught by a speed camera taking both hands off the wheel to apply make-up while driving near a north Wales town.

Pwllheli Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday how Donna Marie Maddock, 22, from Mold, was travelling at 32mph in a 40mph zone earlier this year.

She was using an eyeliner with one hand and a compact in the other.

Maddock was fined £200 after admitting careless driving. The court heard she was banned last week for drink-driving.

Magistrates heard that it was an Arrive Alive mobile anti-speeding van, equipped with a camera, that caught Maddock driving her Vauxhall Astra in Ala Road - the road out of Pwllheli towards Abersoch.

Ian Evans, prosecuting, said she had what appeared to be an eyebrow or eyelash pencil in one hand and something like a compact or mirror in the other.

The video was shown in court and Maddock, who did not appear for sentencing, could be seen with both hands off the steering wheel.

'Beggars belief'

Mr Evans said: "This is an unusual case. The police speed check caught the defendant doing 32 mph in a 40 mph area. There was no speeding but she had no hands on the steering wheel."

Magistrates imposed six points on Maddock's licence and heard that she was already serving a 20-month driving ban, imposed last week.

A letter from her solicitor asked that because she had been disqualified since the offence, no further ban be added.

A spokeswoman for North Wales Police said: "A car is a dangerous lump of metal in the wrong hands.

"You need to be in control at all times and Miss Maddock's actions beggar belief."