Kildare woman fined €200 for driving without insurance
Image for illustration purposes
A 25-YEAR-old woman from Castledermot appeared before Carlow District Court on charges of driving without valid car insurance.
Nirawan O’Gorman of Knocknacree, Castledermot was stopped by gardaí on Dublin Road, Carlow at approximately 2pm on 4 December 2024. The real-time insurance database system in the garda patrol car had scanned her vehicle’s registration plates and flagged it as uninsured.
Ms O’Gorman initially appeared unrepresented, but Judge Geraldine Carthy advised her that proceeding without legal representation could result in a two-year driving suspension. The judge explained that, with solicitor representation, she could potentially argue “special reasons” under the ***Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988***, which might help avoid a driving ban or penalty points.
Mr Chris Hogan was assigned to represent the defendant and the matter resumed in the afternoon session.
Mr Hogan entered a guilty plea on behalf of Ms O’Gorman, who has no previous convictions. He outlined mitigating circumstances, explaining that the defendant’s insurance policy had been cancelled three days before the incident due to a missed payment.
The court heard that Ms O’Gorman had lost her job in October 2024 and was unaware that a payment had lapsed. Mr Hogan said she had not seen the notification in the post in time and was receiving social welfare at the time of the offence. She has since returned to employment and has resumed an insurance policy.
Taking all facts into consideration, Judge Carthy convicted Ms O’Gorman and imposed a fine of €200, with 120 days to pay, without imposing a driving ban.
