Crying girl told gardai ‘mammy can’t drive’

CASE DISMISSED AS NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO PROVE THAT HIGHLY DRUNK WOMAN HAD BEEN DRIVING CAR

THE mother of a young girl who told gardaí ‘mammy can’t drive’ had a drink drive charge dismissed when her case was heard at Gorey District Court.

A urine sample taken from accused Rhiannan Byrne of 6 Sawyer’s Yard, Gorey, suggested that she was considerably over the legal limit.

However, the prosecution was dismissed after Judge Brian O’Shea noted that he was given no evidence she was actually driving on the Sunday afternoon in question.

Garda Darragh Power told how he was on duty at the station in Gorey on December 8 when the defendant’s daughter Amelia (born in 2011) arrived into the public office.

She was roaring crying and she said to the garda: ‘Mammy can’t drive.’

He went outside to investigate and found a Ford

Focus in the yellow filter box outside the barracks, with Rhiannan Byrne at the wheel.

The engine was not running, the court was told, while the accused had extremely bloodshot eyes and her speech proved slurred.

She was arrested and brought inside. Young Amelia was taken to the recreation room and later picked up by her father Paul Byrne after he was contacted at work.

The arrested woman was processed, with Caredoc called to take the urine sample which showed on analysis a concentration of 366 mgs alcohol per 100 millilitres, in excess of the legal limit for drivers of 67 mgs.

However, the judge pointed out that the court was given no evidence that Ms Byrne had actually been driving, so the case was dismissed.