AN architectural designer was fined €500 for repeatedly driving into the lane of oncoming traffic on the N71 while flicking her hair.
Angela Murphy (61) appeared at Clonakilty District Court where she denied a charge of careless driving on July 9th last.

The court heard that gardaí were alerted to the defendant’s manner of driving by witness Stephanie McLaughlin, who was the front seat passenger in a VW Golf driving behind Ms Murphy’s black Mercedes for much of the way from Clonakilty to Rosscarbery.

Gda Brian Noonan said he had received a call from Ms McLaughlin that day saying she was concerned after seeing a driver running her fingers through her hair, veering to the opposite side of the road.

The court heard that Gda Noonan contacted the accused, of Ballinagee, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, on July 10th when Ms Murphy admitted driving along the N71 to Rosscarbery having come from Wicklow to visit family.

‘She was shocked by the allegations and said she always drives carefully,’ said Gda Noonan. Stephanie McLaughlin said she was coming from the vet’s surgery and first noticed Ms Murphy at the Spar roundabout on Bypass Road, Clonakilty, where the Mercedes nearly cut off the car she was in.

At Ahamilla, Ms McLaughlin noticed the car veering across the white line in the middle of the road. ‘I saw the driver messing with her hair with both hands,’ said Ms McLaughlin.

She said the car veered into the lane of oncoming traffic several times on the way to Rosscarbery. The driver of the Mercedes only pulled back to the right side of the road when she saw cars coming from the other direction. 

Ms McLaughlin said that as their VW Golf approached the overtaking lane near Ownenahincha Cross, her boyfriend at the time attempted to overtake the Mercedes but it pulled out in front of them and then back in. It prevented them from overtaking it and a truck in front. She said that the Mercedes also braked sharply forcing the VW do the same.

Ms McLaughlin said she felt had to alert gardaí to the incident when she reached her home in Rosscarbery. Ms McLaughlin said that a number of cars had beeped their horn or flashed their lights at the Mercedes on the way to Rosscarbery.

Ms Murphy denied the accusation of messing with her hair and crossing onto the wrong side of the road or braking severely, adding that the allegations were ‘deeply upsetting’.

She said that Golf behind her had already pulled out into a hatched area before the overtaking lane began and she pulled in to avoid it. She said that two or three cars had already overtaken the truck in front using the overtaking lane and she was about to do the same.

‘There were no flashing lights or beeping horns at any point,’ said Ms Murphy, adding that she was unaware of the alleged incident until Gda Noonan called her. The accused said she was travelling to Rosscarbery to meet her cousin for lunch at The Square and knew the roads around West Cork well because she regularly visited the
area.

Insp.Triona O’Mahony put it to Ms Murphy that Ms McLaughlin had travelled a long distance to give evidence and had ‘no skin in the game’ to make up allegations.

Defence solicitor Conrad Murphy said the driver of Ms McLaughlin’s car did not report the incident, did not beep the VW’s horn at his client and did not speak to her in Rosscarbery.

Judge Andrew Cody said he found Stephanie McLaughlin’s evidence credible and accepted her recollection of the events as plausible and truthful.

‘I don’t accept what Ms Murphy said about the VW Golf being in the hatched area before the overtaking lane. It’s an attempt to justify her own actions,’ Judge Cody said.

He fined Ms Murphy €500 for careless driving, fixing recognisance for appeal at €500.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.