Drunk mum skidded off motorway

Eimear Cotter

A HOUSEWIFE who lost control of her car on a motorway and skidded into a ditch was three times over the legal drink driving limit, a court heard.

Carmel Murphy (47) has a bad back, and the high level of alcohol in her system was due to "bad pain management". A court heard that Murphy hadn't had a drink since the accident.

A judge fined the mother-of-three €1,000 and banned her from driving for three years.

The defendant, with an address at Ring Commons, Co Dublin, admitted before Swords District Court to drunken driving and careless driving.

The incident took place near the Walshestown exit on the M1 Motorway on January 28 last year.

Garda Ross Rowan said he was on mobile patrol around 12.30pm when he received a call about a single vehicle accident on the southbound lane of the M1.

Garda Rowan said Murphy had been travelling on the overtaking lane when she suddenly swerved her 2007-registered BMW jeep across into the slow lane. However, she lost control of the vehicle and landed in a ditch on the side of the road.

The garda said Murphy was taken to Santry Garda Station to be breathalysed and she gave a reading of 93mgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath. She had no previous convictions.

mother

Defence lawyer Kenneth Kerins said Murphy had a back injury, and the high level of alcohol in her system was due to "bad pain management".

He said her elderly mother lived some distance from her, and a driving ban would significantly impact on her daily duties in looking after both her and her children.

Judge Patrick Brady postponed the ban until March so the defendant could look after her mother over Christmas.

hnews@herald.ie