A law student who did community service to work off $1,800 in unpaid traffic fines was shown leniency by a magistrate yesterday.

Senior Magistrate Juan Wolffe cut short the community service order imposed on Essette Winters, 21, after she completed two-thirds of her hours in half the time allotted.

Winters, who helped senior citizens as part of her order, told the court: “I feel that this whole thing has taught me a lesson and has kept me busy.”

The court earlier heard Winters, from Sandys, owed the cash for traffic fines but had struggled to pay them off.

The fines were changed to 95 hours of community service on March 30 and she was ordered to complete them inside 18 months.

But Winters completed 67 hours of her community service order by December – which she juggled with her legal studies.

Nick Lewis, Winters’ probation officer, told the court that she was an “excellent worker” who had stayed “committed and willing”.

Mr Wolffe dismissed the rest of the order and praised Winters on her dedication.

“You exemplify what we want to see in community service. Next time I see you, I hope it will be here at the lawyer’s bench,” he said.

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