Cork woman who crashed into parked car convicted of drink-driving

Court heard a blue Toyota Corolla was seen hitting another vehicle that was parked at the side of the road at Farran, Co Cork

Court told defendant suffered with ongoing issues with alcohol and was attending services to deal with it. File picture: Dan Linehan

A Cork woman whose car was spotted colliding with another vehicle before driving away from the scene has pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Sergeant Eimear O’Connell told Macroom District Court that a blue Toyota Corolla was seen hitting another vehicle that was parked at the side of the road at Farran, Co Cork, at 5.10pm on the evening of September 11, 2024. The Corolla belonged to 43-year-old Elizabeth Buckley, from Fergus, Coachford, Co Cork.

Buckley was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and a subsequent breath test confirmed she was over the legal limit, with a reading of 61mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath where the legal limit is 22mg.

Defence solicitor Patrick Horan said his client was previously a healthcare worker who suffered from ongoing issues with alcohol and was currently dealing with them, but had a “long road” to travel. He said Buckley was fully insured, made full admissions, had strong family support, and had no previous convictions at the time the incident occurred.

Judge Joanne Carroll said Buckley was a mature person who recognised she had an alcohol problem and was attending services to deal with it. She noted Buckley’s guilty plea and her efforts to address her problem, and imposed the mandatory two-year driving disqualification for the offence, with no additional penalty.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme