A music teacher who said she unwittingly ate a cannabis-laced cake and ended up in a Garda pursuit, during which she drove in reverse for 800m on the wrong side of a Dublin road, has been fined €700 and banned from driving.
Marta Burns (47), of The Downs, Alderbrook, Ashbourne, Co Meath, mistook Garda members for thieves when they approached her car on Emmet Road, Dublin 8 at around midnight on April 29th last.
She “took off” at speed and called 999 to report a crime when they gave chase, Dublin District Court heard.
Sgt James Ward outlined the facts of the case after Burns pleaded guilty to dangerous driving with cannabis in her system.
He said local drug unit officers were on patrol and saw Burns’ car parked at the Emmet Road-Spa Road junction, where she was engaging with an unknown woman.
The gardaí activated their blue lights and Garda Conor Conway and another officer approached Burns, who was in the car with her son, and identified themselves with their official badges.
She refused to engage with the officers and “then placed her vehicle into reverse” and proceeded up Spa Road before going on to St Vincent Street West.
Burns then sped off from gardaí, took a right onto Emmet Road, reached the junction of Tyrconnell Road before stopping. The gardaí again exited their vehicle and attempted to open her car door.
However, Burns “proceeded to reverse the vehicle back up Emmet Road on the wrong side of the road” with oncoming traffic approaching. She continued reversing for about 800m and collided with an occupied vehicle, but did not remain at the scene.
She almost collided with a bin lorry and members of the public were standing at the bus stop where she came to a halt.
Burns’ defence counsel pleaded for leniency, saying the accused attended a party earlier and ate some cake she was not aware had cannabis in it. She said Burns formed an impression when gardaí first approached her and drove off.
When Burns got through to the emergency service call operator to report what she believed were thieves following her, she was told it was actually gardaí pursuing her, the court heard.
Burns was given a two-year driving ban and fined €700 by Judge Treasa Kelly, who noted the accused had given free music lessons and donated €60 to charities as part of a restorative justice programme.