Limerick mother convicted of a litany of road traffic offences

A WOMAN who was described by a judge as possessing a “general lawlessness” has been jailed for a litany of road traffic offences.

Mary O’Callaghan with an address at Aherlow View, Galbally, appeared before Judge Patricia Harney at Kilmallock District Court charged with a number of road traffic offences.

The 44-year-old appeared before Judge Harney for the eleventh time for not having insurance.

The court heard that on September 14, 2025, Garda John P Clifford was called, just before 5pm, to attend the scene of a material damage collision after a car was rear-ended.

Garda Clifford said Ms O’Callaghan had driven onto the footpath and had left the scene of the collision.

Just one month later, on October 20, 2025, the accused was stopped by gardaí and it was established she did not have insurance, tax or a valid NCT. She was also disqualified from driving at the time.

The court heard that Ms O’Callaghan had 84 previous convictions, the majority of which relate to similar road traffic offences.

She was disqualified from driving in 2018 and that disqualification was still active at the time of these offences.

Representing the defendant, barrister Nicholas Hall BL said his client was just one month away from being back on the road.

He said his client has six children and comes from a “very difficult background.”

He added that she left the scene of the collision as it triggered her PTSD as a result of being a victim of domestic violence.

“None of that gave her a God given right to leave a scene, drive on the footpath – if she wasn’t driving, it wouldn’t have happened,” Judge Harney said.

The judge imposed four prison sentences of three months each to run consecutively, disqualified Ms O’Callaghan from driving for 10 years and imposed fines to a total value of €2,000.

The convictions also triggered suspended sentences, which were returned to Limerick City District Court.

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