Crash driver was drunk and had no insurance

A 22 year old drunk driver whose car went out of control in the early hours and crashed into a field off the main Donegal road has been fined €400 and banned from driving for two years.

Before Sligo District Court was Caoimhe Commins of 77 Rathbraughan Park, Sligo who admitted drunk driving and not having insurance at Springfield on April 23rd 2017.

A charge of dangerous driving was struck out at the outset after the guilty plea was indicated by Mr Eddie Henry, solicitor (defending).

Inspector Paul Kilcoyne told the court that the defendant was driving on the Bundoran road when she lost control of her car which flipped in the air before spinning into a field.

She was brought to hospital and a sample was taken which showed a concentration of 115mgs of alcohol per 100mls of urine. The defendant had no insurance.

Mr Henry said the defendant had “broken all the rules in the book.”

While Commins owned the car there had been “nothing proper on the vehicle” including no insurance or NCT.

It was fortunate that a person entering their house at the same time hear the car go off the road and raised the alarm, he said.

“It’s fortunate that she was not left permanently disabled or not here at all today,” said Mr Henry.

He said the defendant was a student at IT Sligo and would be completing a four year course this May and it was her intention to study for an MA in Criminology in Cork.

He pleaded that the defendant had a very difficult and tragic background and had been in a very toxic relationship at the time.

“She was going through a very difficult period,” said Mr Henry.

This necessitated a visit to Sligo University Hospital and a report from same was handed in to the court.

Judge Kevin Kilrane enquired if any charges had arisen from this and was told by Mr Henry that he wasn’t aware of any while Ms Valerie Kearins, solicitor told the court the defendant was pursuing the matter on a civil basis.

Judge Kilrane fined the defendant €200 on the drunk driving charge and imposed a two year ban.

A similar order was made in respect of the insurance offence while a summons for not having a licence was taken into consideration.