'Like a fake tan' - Tipp motorist fined over 'extremely dark' tinted windows on Audi car

A motorist who was stopped by Tipperary gardai while driving a car with "extremely dark" tinted windows has been warned he is "skating on very thin ice".

Deniss Bistrovs was before Nenagh District Court arising from an incident which happened earlier this year - on St Patrick's Day. 

Garda Jamie Ryan said he stopped the 26-year-old - who has an address at Boland Place, Silver Street, Knockanpierce, Nenagh - at O’Rahilly Street, Nenagh at 9.40pm on March 17 having observed the darkened windows.

Judge Marie Keane was told that current regulations dictate that 65% of light has to pass through the front windows of cars being driven in Ireland. However, Garda Ryan told the court that upon testing with a tint reading device, he established that the tints on Mr Bistrovs' Audi A3 allowed just 8% of light to pass through.

“You couldn’t even see through it at all,” he stated, adding that windows with such a dark tint “cause a hazard, particularly at night time.”

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After hearing the evidence of Garda Ryan, Judge Keane asked a number of questions as to how tinted windows work in practice and how they are applied.

It was explained they are fitted onto car windows at a garage and that their effect for the driver is “essentially like wearing dark sunglasses”. 

Upon hearing the explanation, Judge Keane laughed and said the tint effect is “essentially like a fake tan”.

She said while Mr Bistrovs may have thought he was “very cool”, it would be a different story if a child on a bike crossed the road in front of him. 

Addressing the defendant, she suggested he must have “great eyesight”, to which he replied: “I do”. When asked why he had applied tints to the car, the defendant said they were on the vehicle when he bought it and that "I didn't think I would get done for it."

Sergeant Regina McCarthy said Mr Bistrovs has a number of previous convictions to his name, including for assault causing harm, engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour, possession of drugs and careless driving.

In mitigation, solicitor John Spencer said his client wished to apologise to Garda Ryan for his “cavalier attitude” on the day of the offence. He added that he has since disposed of the car in question.

The judge imposed fines totalling €500 warning Mr Bistrovs that his "cheeky attitude was not helpful" and that he is "skating on very thin ice".

She added that the offence was "absolute nonsense and beyond credibility".