A BANTRY woman, who was caught driving while disqualified just three days into her driving ban, ended up spending two days in Limerick Prison which her solicitor said was a ‘chastening experience’ for her.
Bridget Cronin (62) of Cappabue, Kealkil, Bantry appeared at Bandon District Court having spent two nights in prison following her appearance at Macroom District Court two days earlier.
The court heard that last July she was granted a postponement of a driving disqualification until January 6th of this year.
However, on January 9th last gardaí caught her driving while disqualified, drink-driving, and driving without insurance at Inchigeela. She pleaded guilty to all three charges.
Judge James McNulty said that when he heard she was driving while disqualified he decided it was ‘time for her to go away and taste prison life for a few days’.
Defence solicitor Patrick Gould said her client, who is married with three grown-up children, had never been in court before up until nine months ago.
‘It has been very embarrassing for the family and a chastening experience for her,’ said Mr Gould.
He asked Judge McNulty not to add a further custodial sentence and suspend any planned sentence.
‘She accepts she did wrong and she told the garda who stopped her on January 9th that she was disqualified. She had no previous convictions until July last year.’
Judge McNulty noted that the detection for drink driving was in the morning time when a routine checkpoint was taking place.
‘For a woman of 62 years to be drunk mid-morning after already being caught before sets off alarm bells. She is in breach of a court order for driving after being disqualified,’ said Judge McNulty.
‘She’s in double trouble as she’s defying a court order and the will of the people.’
He said a suspended sentence is best understood by someone who has spent time in prison, noting that she spent two days in Limerick Prison.
The judge convicted and sentenced her to 60 days in prison for driving while disqualified but suspended it for two years with a special condition that she will obey the disqualification orders imposed on her.
He also convicted and fined her a total of €1,000 on the other two charges and disqualified her from driving for two years.
