The court hears a mother who does not have car insurance ‘not above the law’ when she faces prison

A judge has told the mother of two people who were caught driving uninsured for the third time that she is not “above the law” and will be jailed for three months.

Prohibited driver Oife MacCourt (40) has been found inside the wheel “within days” of four years’ disqualification and “thoroughly deserved” imprisonment, Judge David McHugh said.

Banning him for five years, he adjourned the case early next month, when MacCourt will be jailed.

The accused, of Adamstown Avenue, Lucan, pleaded guilty to uninsured and unlicensed driving.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan said MacCourt stopped driving a silver Kia Rio at Balgaddy Road, Clondalkin, last November 9th.
Addiction

She admitted to gardaí that she was disqualified. The accused had two previous convictions for not having insurance and was banned for four years in October last year.

MacCourt was a single mother with young children and wanted to sell her car, her attorney Valerie Buckley said.

The accused had a heroin addiction and was now on methadone and hoping to find employment. “She has no intention of driving for a very long time”.

Judge McHugh said within “a few days” of his final conviction, MacCourt went out and drove again.

He sentenced her and said he would complete the order in four weeks.

“This woman is not above the law,” he said. “She deserves to go to jail.”