A Ballyhaunis woman who was involved in a minor traffic accident where Gardai found that a five-year-old child not properly restrained in the back of the car, was disqualified from driving for three months in Claremorris District Court this week.
Garda Grainne McLoone told the court she attend the she attended the scene of a road traffic accident in Claremorris at 5.56pm on October 7 2010. When she inspected the vehicles she noticed that there was no tax on the car being driven by Catriona Cleary, Graune, Ballyhaunis and that there was a five year old child in the back of the car which was not restrained properly. She went on to say that the child was sitting between two other children who were restrained in the correct manner and that Cleary was driving on a provisional licence unaccompanied by a fully licensed driver.
Solicitor for Cleary told the court that she was just going into the town to carry out some errands when the accident happened. She continued to say that Cleary now had a passed the driving test and had a full licence. In relation to the child not being restrained correctly, solicitor for Cleary told the court that the three children in the car were her siblings and that two of the children were properly restrained on booster seats and that there was simply no room to fit a third booster seat in the car, but the child was restrained by the normal seat belt in the car.
Judge Mary Devins dismissed a charge of having no tax as Garda McLoone failed to produce a certificate of duty owed on the car. For having no driving licence she convicted and fined Cleary €100 and for having a child not properly restrained she convicted and fined her €200 and disqualified her from driving for three months.
