Woman driver (49) disqualified for four years after failing to stop for a collision

A WOMAN driver was disqualified from driving for four years after failing to stop for a collision in which she clipped a car and injured a fellow motorist.

Brenda Feeney (49), The Willows, Parkview, Dublin 18, appeared before Tallaght District Court charged with an incident at Nutgrove shopping Centre carpark on December 8, 2023.

Garda Paul Healy, Rathfarnham Garda Station, told the court that on the date in question, Ms Feeney was alleged to have been leaving Nutgrove in her Mercedes when her car collided with another car.

The court heard that the injured party, Mr John Donohoe, was pinned between the vehicle and falling backwards.

The prosecution case was that Ms Feeney did not stop when asked by the injured party and his wife.

Counsel for Ms Feeney said his client’s father was on the cusp of dying at the time and that he would pass away a month later in hospital.

According to the defence counsel, Ms Feeney returned to her car, saw a number of missed calls which she thought related to her father’s treatment, and was on “auto-pilot mode” when leaving the car park, thinking the injured party was “waving at her” as she left.

When later shown CCTV footage by her solicitors, Ms Feeney did not remember it as it happened.

A sum of €3k was offered to the court for the injured party by the defence counsel on behalf of the defendant, who the court heard, was a healthcare recruitment worker who needs her car to travel and work.

Witness Ms John Donohoe took to the stand, recalling he had been shopping with his wife at the time.

“I was getting out of the car, next thing behind me a big bang, I hit the deck. My wife tried to stop the lady getting away,” said Donohoe.

The court heard Mr Donohoe was out of work for seven months, was forced to have a knee operation in hospital, was on painkillers and that it “took a long time to get back on my feet.”

His wife’s car was written off and they had to buy a new car after that the court heard.

As a self-employed man he was not entitled to any social welfare supports.

After hearing the evidence, Judge Aine Kenny was not satisfied that Ms Feeney “wasn’t aware” of the severity of the collision and that “leaving the scene is also serious.”

Taking into account the relatively early guilty plea and no previous convictions for the defendant, while also having the “utmost sympathy for a father who was sick”, Judge Kenny was satisfied that it was moderate offending and imposed a four-year driving disqualification.

Funded by the Local Courts Reporting Scheme