Took five Laois gardaí to restrain woman following crash
Image for illustration purposes
A WOMAN appeared before Portlaoise District Court last week charged with multiple traffic offences after being involved in a serious road crash while driving under the influence of drugs.
Following the collision, both the woman and her brother had to be cut free from the vehicle by emergency services. A four-year-old child, who was travelling in the rear of the car, was unrestrained.
The events were outlined last week when Jaqueline Martin (37), Davitt Street, John’s Gate, Limerick appeared before the court summonsed for driving without insurance, drug-driving, driving without a licence, a provision L driver driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, non-display of an L plate, failing to retain a child in a vehicle, driving without NCT and to driving without tax at Togher, Portlaoise on 1 February 2024.
The court heard that following the collision, emergency fire, ambulance and gardaí arrived at the scene.
Garda Sgt Kirby said that when Ms Martin was being extricated from the car, she was extremely aggressive. She fell on the ground and faked a heart attack. He said it took five gardaí to subdue her and put handcuffs on her.
He said the defendant has 61 previous convictions that included road traffic, assaults, violent disorder, theft and public order offences.
Defending solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her client acknowledges that she had taken illicit drugs on the day but was no longer taking them.
“She’s had a difficult life but also acknowledges that she made it quite difficult for the gardaí at the time,” said Ms Fitzpatrick.
“She spent six weeks in custody on this. She has several medical conditions and at present is recovering from an operation. She was taking THC to address her medical condition at the time.” Judge Andrew Cody noted that the defendant’s brother and a four-year-old child were also in the car and that the child was not restrained.
He said that such was the impact of the collision that both Ms Martin and her brother had to be cut from the car.
He said she was extremely aggressive to gardaí, faked a heart attack, spat at gardaí and was so aggressive that she had to be handcuffed.
“She then started shouting at a doctor,” said Judge Cody, “shouting that he wasn’t a real doctor and then made a lunge at him. It took five gardaí to restrain her.” He went on to convict Ms Martin of driving without insurance, imposed a five-month sentence suspended for four years. He convicted her of drug-driving and imposed the same sentence. For driving without an L plate, she was fined €100, for having a child unstrained in the vehicle a fine of €400 was imposed and for having no tax on her car she was fined €100.
He took all the other summons into consideration.
