Mother threatened with prison over fine wins appeal

AFTER six gardai came to the home of a young mother in the early hours of the morning last month to execute a penal warrant for an unpaid road traffic fine, a Limerick Circuit Court judge has upheld her appeal against the conviction and dismissed the fine. The 27-year-old mother of one was up feeding here infant baby when the court previously heard that gardai waited until 2.30am to execute a penal warrant for an unpaid road traffic fine. In her absence at Limerick District Court the young mother was convicted of holding a mobile phone while driving and fined €250 last May.

In December, the fine remained unpaid and the mother claimed she knew nothing about it until six gardai arrived at the woman’s home on a Limerick halting site in the early hours of the morning.
Gardai were prepared to arrest her to commit her to prison, but the mother said she was appealing the case and “upon my word”, the gardai left the mother’s home without executing the warrant.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the 27-year-old said she was surprised when the gardai called.
“I wasn’t feeling well after having my baby so I was in my mother’s next door when about six of them came. They said they were going to bring me to Henry Street then to the prison the next morning. But they were nice about it and I wasn’t going to leave my new baby.
The single parent said that she was just glad it was all over now after Judge Carroll Moran upheld the appeal.
Last month at the district court when the matter first came to light, Judge O’Kelly asked if it was normal practice to serve a warrant in this manner and added that; “I hope I don’t hear of this sort of thing again”, said the judge, adding that warrants “should not be executed after midnight or before 7am”.