A JUDGE has told a Letterkenny mother-of-six that she was being spared jail only because of a long gap between offences.
Noreen Mongan was before Letterkenny District Court on a charge of driving without insurance.
Gardaí responded to a report of a collision at Glencar Shopping Centre, Letterkenny on December 16, 2019.
Mongan (47) admitted liability for the crash.
The court heard that Mongan had previous offences, most recently in 2010.
“That’s what’s saving her from going to jail,” Judge Alan Mitchell said.
Solicitor for Mongan, Mr Michael Shiel, said his client missed two months of direct debit payments for her insurance.
“She foolishly thought that she was insured,” Mr Shiel said. “The company wrote to her to say that the direct debut had stopped. It was a very minor crash with no personal injuries offered.”
Judge Mitchell disqualified Mongan from driving for two years and fined her €400, giving her six months to pay.
He said: “The long gap from the previous sentence is the only thing preventing jail.
“You’ve broken the gap now. Another one before me and there’ll be a prison sentence.”