'Very foolish' - Woman convicted of driving offence in court did it again on the same day

A learner driver who was convicted of driving unaccompanied and not displaying ‘L’ plates left Kilkenny District Court, got into her car and only drove a short distance before she as stopped and fined for the exact same offence.

Patricia Fahey, 22 Priory Court, New Ross, appeared in court last week charged with two offences that occurred at Bateman Quay, Kilkenny, on January 16 last, at 2.15pm.

A fixed charge penalty was not paid.

The court was told that on the same day Ms Fahey had been convicted of being a learner driver unaccompanied while driving.

“She was convicted of the exact same offence, on the same day, and got back into her car?” Judge Geraldine Carthy asked.
Solicitor Ed Hughes said it was “very foolish” of his client.

She had been disqualified on penalty points after that court date. She was apologetic, he said.

The judge convicted Ms Fahey of driving while unaccompanied and imposed a fine of €200. She was also disqualified from driving for two months.

Judge Carthy said that only for Ms Fahey’s guilty plea the penalty “would have been four times worse.”