Garda observed woman in Midlands blocking traffic during school run

A young mother facing four motoring charges after being observed blocking traffic while dropping her child off to a school was fined €100 at Longford District Court.

Zita Keenan (28) of 37 Palace Crescent, Longford was charged with driving without tax or a driver's licence, and of failing to produce the documents. Sergeant Mark Mahon told the court that on Friday, September 10, 2021 at 9:25am Garda Anthony Scanlon observed a car parked on the side of the road causing an obstruction.

Garda Scanlon spoke to the driver, Ms Keenan, and noted that the tax was out of date. The defendant gave an undertaking to present her licence at Longford garda station, but failed to do so.

A Fixed Charge Penalty Notice was issued, but it went unpaid. Solicitor Fiona Baxter said her client had a provisional licence, and had completed nine lessons, however she was delayed in undertaking her test.

Ms Baxter explained that on the day the young mother was on a school run. The defendant was parked as close to the school as possible, but because of the limited parking spots she had been out on the road.

Ms Baxter explained to Judge Bernadette Owens that her client's child is five years of age and the defendant did not want to leave them off too far from the school.

The solicitor said Ms Keenan had “limited means”.

Taking the facts of the case into consideration Judge Owens said she would strike out the no driver's licence charge and impose a fine of €100 for the failing to produce a driver's licence while the non display of tax charge was taken into consideration.