*Photograph: John Mangan
A JUDGE has told a banned driver and mother who has to do a six mile round walk with her three young children to their local school every day that her driving days are over.
At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, the 39 year old east Clare mother of three told Judge Alec Gabbett that her four year old finds the twice daily three mile walk on a back road between their home and the school “very challenging”.
Judge Gabbett said that he is concerned for the safety of the children walking along the road “where you would have cars tearing along”.
Judge Gabbett told the woman “that the wheels are coming off the wagon and there are all sorts of flashing lights going off” in her life.
The woman and her children live in an isolated part of east Clare and the woman was before the court pleading guilty to driving with no insurance near the village of Scariff on July 17th 2023.
The court was told that the woman has eight previous convictions for no insurance and has previously received a suspended four month prison term at Nenagh District Court for no insurance.
The woman is also serving a four year driving ban and Judge Gabbett told her that if she drives “the suspended four months will kick in and you will go to jail”.
Judge Gabbett told the woman: “You simply cannot drive. You would be remanded in custody if you drive”.
He said, “Where is the justice in that three children would end up in foster care?”
The woman said, “I can submit my steps to the Gardaí if needs be”.
Judge Gabbett told the woman, “You are never going to be insured. If you tell the truth to an insurance company and you strike me as a truthful person they won’t insure you”.
He said, “That is the end of it, driving is over for you and we have to get you a house close to a TESCO and a school”.
On the mother walking her children three miles to school every day from their home, Judge Gabbett said during the winter “it is not pleasant”.
He said, “A lot of people walked to school all their lives and it did them no harm but you have an awful lot going on in your life”.
The mother told Judge Gabbett that the walk to school with the children “is awful”.
Judge Gabbett said that the woman is living “under extremely concerning circumstances”. He said, “I am worried about you and the children.”
The woman’s key worker told the court that the woman lives in a very isolated area.
She said: “She is a very good Mum and the kids are her priority.” The woman said that the three bedroom bungalow that the mother rents from her parents is freezing apart from the living room.
The woman said that the father of the mother is now in prison and the relationship broke down.
The woman said that she hopes to get a house close to a bus route and shop.
Judge Gabbett said that he would adjourn the case to October 1st. Judge Gabbett imposed reporting restrictions on the identity of the accused in this case.
