Light relief in court as prisoner flirts with judge

THERE was what could only be described as a little bit of screen flirting going in court last week between a judge and a 52-year-old woman facing 17 road traffic offences while currently serving a five-year sentence.

“Oh, how did I never meet you back then! I mightn’t be here now!” laughed Nora Lynch (52), formally of Ruanbeg Park, Ruanbeg Manor, Kildare town but currently in Dóchas Women’s Prison until a date in 2030.

Ms Lynch was appearing in Naas District Court by videolink to face a total of 17 motoring offences.

“Oh, don’t throw the book at me!” she wailed theatrically, when Sergeant Mary Meade began outlining the offences, starting with a stop at Brownstown Manor, just south of The Curragh, on 1 May 2025.

“How could I?” replied Judge Desmond Zaidan. “You’re in there until 2030!” 

“I’ll tell you what. Shall I throw a page at you?” he offered.

“Could you throw a paragraph?” chanced the still-smiling defendant.

“It is a testament to her character that she is able to make jokes while she’s in there for the next four years,” said her solicitor Tim Kennelly.

“My client has had a very hard life. She is presently in treatment for cancer, and is now a grandmother. In fact, she was very influential in the raising of her grandchild,” he added.

The judge accepted all this, and so he banned Ms Lynch from driving for five years from that day on the driving without insurance charge, and took all other 16 charges “into consideration”.

“So, Nora, what do you do on a daily basis, after you get up?” asked the judge.

“Why don’t you come up and visit us?” Ms Lynch cheekily asked.

“Well, back in 1998 as a young barrister, I used to be on the prison visit committees,” revealed the judge.

Which prompted the defendant to say: “Oh, how did I never meet you back then? I mightn’t be here now!” 

“Why don’t you go up and ask the governor to ask me up for a visit?” suggested the judge.

“Do you want to get me in all sorts of trouble?” laughed Ms Lynch.