A WOMAN who pleaded guilty to careless driving was directed by Judge Monika Leech to complete a driver awareness course.
The accused, Aoife Crowne of Coomhola, Bantry, pleaded guilty to the charge through her solicitor at a recent sitting of Bantry District Court.
In addition to attending the course, Judge Leech fined the accused €350 for the careless driving offence at Dromduff West on September 3rd, 2023.
Insp Roisin O’Dea outlined the facts of the case at the local district court saying that the accused’s car was a write-off after it ended up in a ditch.
Although it was a single-vehicle collision, the inspector said a passenger in Aoife Crowne’s car required medical attention but not hospitalisation.
The solicitor pointed out that his 32-year-old client, a teacher by profession, had no previous convictions.
He said she had been minding a child, aged five, all day long and after that got a call to pick someone up.
The solicitor said she took her eye off the road for an instant and ended up hitting a ditch.
‘She was very shaken by what happened,’ said the solicitor who went on to outline the many ways in which his client is active in the community and sporting organisations.
‘This will never happen again,’ he said. ‘What happened was a complete error of judgement.’
Judge Leech reminded the accused that she, in her role as a teacher, has a duty of care. ‘She is a role model for pupils.’
The judge also stated the driver awareness course would give her an opportunity to reflect on why this will never happen again.
