Longford motorist gets suspended prison sentence

Monika Krupa appeared before Longford District Court after she drove to her local garda station to sign on the Garda register. The defendant's offence was that she was banned from the road at the time.

Krupa (44) of Aughantragh, Kilashee, Longford pleaded guilty to using a mechanically propelled vehicle without insurance at Battery Road, Longford. Sergeant Enda Daly told the judge at that at 9:30am on March 28 last the defendant attended to sign on at the local Garda station.

After signing on she went outside, got into a car and started to drive off. An officer on duty knew Krupa was banned from driving and followed her, signalling the defendant to stop.

The officer asked for the driver's documentation, and Krupa admitted she had no driver's licence or insurance and was disqualified at the time.
The court heard the defendant had 10 previous convictions including driving without insurance, hit and run, and dangerous driving.

Solicitor Frank Gearty said his client had been going through some “personal difficulties” at the time. He asked Judge Bernadette Owens to consider not imprisoning the defendant and leave it “hanging over her head”, adding that Krupa had since sold the car.

Taking the facts of the case into consideration Judge Owens registered a conviction, sentencing Krupa to four months in prison, but suspended it for a period of 12 months. The judge then disqualified her for 10 years.