Woman 'living in car' appeals Offaly motor insurance jail sentence
Eight-month jail term for Birr offence will come before Tullamore Circuit Court this month
A WOMAN who Tullamore District Court heard was living in her car has lodged an appeal against a jail sentence imposed on her for uninsured driving.
Pamela Mary Simmonson (50), with an address at Lowerheath, Fivealley, Birr, received two consecutive four-month prison sentences last month after pleading guilty to driving without insurance on July 20, 2025 and March 16 last.
Those two convictions brought her total number for uninsured driving to 10, Judge Andrew Cody heard.
The latest convictions also resulted in previously suspended sentences of up to six months being re-entered by the prosecution, at Tralee District Court as well as Tullamore District Court.
When the possible activation of a suspended sentence came before Tullamore District Court, Sergeant Justine Reilly said the matter could be put back because an appeal was going to come before Tullamore Circuit Court in November. It is now due to be considered at the District Court on December 2.
Probation reports were presented to the court when the two four-month sentences were imposed and Judge Andrew Cody noted a “huge number” of previous convictions dating back to 2022.
He said Ms Simmonson had been convicted of driving without insurance on July 16, 2025 and four days later was “back out again”.
Legal aid had been granted to solicitor Brian Duffy when a summons for uninsured driving at Castle Street, Townparks, Birr came before the court in February and Mr Duffy instructed a barrister, David Nugent, who told the court the offending had occurred when Ms Simmonson was living in her car but she now had secure housing and there had been no issues since she got the house.
Judge Cody said the car used in one of the most recent offences was her daughter's and a probation report noted Ms Simmonson was living in a house.
The judge also noted there was a reference in one of the reports to Ms Simmonson saying she drove because she needed to go to the dump.
(Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme)