A Moate mother was banned from driving for two years in the District Court this week (January 28 ) after she tried to bring her child to hospital in a car she was not insured to drive.
Mary Joyce (29 ), of Toor Valley, Ballymore Road, Moate was stopped by Garda Keith Harrison in Horseleap just after midnight on March 16 last year.
Garda Harrison told the court that when stopped Joyce had neither licence or insurance but that she produced her licence for formal identification within the statutory 10 days.
Judge John Neilan heard how Joyce had seven previous convictions for road traffic offences.
“All these arose on the one occcasion?” he asked Garda Harrison.
“Yes, judge,” said Garda Harrison, who explained how on that occasion Joyce had no licence, no insurance, no tax, and failed to produce a certificate of insurance.
Her solicitor, Mr Tony McLynn told the court in mitigation how this incident was “an emergency”.
“A child had to be taken to hospital in Mullingar and her husband wasn’t at home,” he said.
He explained how his client was a stay-at-home mother and hadn’t been insured on her husband’s car at the time but had since been put on the cover.
Judge Neilan was not moved and fined Joyce €250 before putting her from the roads for two years.
