Mum- of10denied holdingphone whiledriving

A mother- of- ten who was seen holding a mobile phone while driving to her eldest son’s graduation ceremony has been ordered to fit a proper bluetooth system to her car if she is to avoid a conviction.

60- year- old Marion O’Toole of Derryvunny, Corrigeenroe, Boyle, appeared before Sligo District Court last week.

She pleaded not guilty to holding a mobile phone while driving at Stone Parks, Ballymote on October 29th 2015.

Garda Demetrius Doherty of Ballymote Garda Station testified that he saw O’Toole holding a phone.

He added that the ticket issued was not paid.

The defendant asked Garda Doherty which hand he saw her using to which he replied, “the right hand.”

“Your honour, I’m left handed. I would have had the phone in my left hand,” said O’Toole.

“I had my hand up as there was strong sunlight and I was trying to protect my eyes,” she said.

In response, Garda Doherty insisted he saw O’Toole “100 per cent on the phone,” adding that he was in an unmarked patrol car at the time.

The defendant handed in a log of all her mobile phone activity that day and said there was “no evidence of phone activity at that hour.”

She said she had been coming from milking a neighbour’s cows and was on her way to her eldest son’s PhD graduation at IT Sligo.

“My mind was on my son. I was a bit distraught because the same son hadn’t spoken until he was 6 years of age and didn’t start school properly