Catriona Carey fails to turn up in court for driving ban appeal hearing

Catriona Carey is appealing a three-month suspended sentence which was handed down at Kilkenny District Court last May after she pleaded guilty to road traffic offences, including driving without insurance and without a valid licence. File picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins

Former hockey international Catriona Carey did not appear in court on Thursday in Kilkenny for an appeal hearing in relation to road traffic offences.

The appeal has now been adjourned to the October sittings of the Kilkenny District Court appeals at Kilkenny Circuit Court after the court heard there had been "a severe breakdown in communications" in relation to Ms Carey's solicitor, who also did not appear in court.

The former camogie star, who previously had an address at Weir View Hill in Kilkenny, is appealing a three-month suspended sentence which was handed down at Kilkenny District Court last May after she pleaded guilty to road traffic offences, including driving without insurance and without a valid licence. She was also disqualified for driving for four years.

Last May, Garda Julie Chapman gave evidence that she stopped the defendant on the Castlecomer Road in Kilkenny on December 21, 2021. The garda used her mobile device to scan the licence and it came up that Ms Carey was disqualified from driving.

On December 10, 2021, Ms Carey was observed driving at Weir View in Kilkenny. At the time, she was disqualified from driving in penalty points.

Garda Chapman told Kilkenny District Court she was screamed at by "a totally out of control" Catriona Carey after she was informed her uninsured car would be seized.

An appeal was lodged on behalf of Ms Carey and was due to be heard last October. On that date, State Solicitor, Gerry Meaney informed the court Ms Carey was now fully contesting the matters before the court and it was adjourned to the January sittings.

In January, there was no judge available to hear the appeal and it was adjourned to today's date.

At the Kilkenny District Court Appeals on Thursday, State solicitor Gerry Meaney said  he had contacted Ms Carey's solicitor, Andrew Broderick, and had spoken to him.

"I spoke to him and he was taken by surprise. He seemed to be aware of the callover but said he wasn't aware that it was in for hearing.

"Ms Carey is not going to be here obviously," he said.

The two garda witnesses who stopped Ms Carey in relation to the road traffic offences were present in court, along with a witness from the Road Safety Authority and another State witness.

Mr Meaney told the court one of the garda members and one of the witnesses would not be available to attend the July sittings of the District Court Appeals.

On Thursday afternoon, solicitor Ed Hughes said while he had no formal instructions in relation to the matter, he had been in contact with Mr Broderick "out of courtesy" and told the court there had been "a severe breakdown in communications".

Judge Sinead Ni Chulacháin said she wanted a message conveyed to Mr Broderick.

"I can't see why Mr Broderick didn't know it was up today," she said, adding it was not the State solicitor's job to tell him.

"I want this to be conveyed. Mr Meaney had his witnesses here and was on full proofs. There is a cost involved," she said and adjourned the hearing against Ms Carey to the October court sittings and reserved the State's costs to that date.