Mum-of-three had no insurance or NCT certificate when guards stopped her in Carndonagh

An Inishowen learner, who drove without insurance or a valid NCT certificate earlier this year, has been warned by a District Court Judge to apply for her driving test without further delay.

Stacy Rosie Renata, of Bunagee Road, Culdaff, pleaded guilty to a number of motoring charges at Carndonagh District Court, including no insurance, driving unaccompanied and driving without a valid NCT certificate.

The court heard how the 43-year-old mum-of-three is a native of Australia but is married to a man from Culdaff and has been living here for eight years.

Sergeant Conor Mulkerns presented the evidence against the defendant. He said gardai were on mobile patrol at Station Road, Carndonagh, on Monday, February 24, 2025, when the offences were uncovered.

At 11.45am that morning Garda Patrick McHugh observed a passing 2007-registered Nissan Qashqai. A check showed that the vehicle was uninsured at the time.

The car was stopped, and the driver gave her name as Stacy Rosie Renata, and she could not provide any proof of insurance.

Additionally, the vehicle’s NCT certificate had expired since March 21, 2022 and the driver did not produce a driving licence at the scene.

Garda McHugh seized the vehicle under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act and made the lawful demand of Ms Renata to produce her driving licence, certificate of insurance and NCT cert to a Garda Station within ten days.

She chose Carndonagh Garda Station but failed to produce the required documents.

Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn told Judge Brendan O’Reilly that his client is a married 43-year-old woman with three young children, aged 5, 8 and 13.

Mr MacLochlainn said she had inadvertently driven without insurance when she was stopped.

“The family car had broken down and was in the garage. Her husband had a back-up car, and he informed my client that the car was insured.”

“She then drove into Carndonagh to do some shopping, but the vehicle showed up on the Garda patrol car as not being insured.”

“She subsequently checked matters out and discovered that the car wasn’t covered. Her husband had let her down in these circumstances.”

Mr MacLochlainn said Ms Renata depends on her licence because she lives in a rural area.

“She needs her licence to take her children to school. She lives three miles from the nearest school and two miles from the nearest shop – and she takes her children to all sorts of sports events.”

“There are no previous convictions nor penalty points, and the car was seized, and they’re at the loss of the car, because it was forfeited to the State.”

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The court heard how Ms Renata has an Irish learner permit and is in the process of doing driving lessons ahead of her test.

Mr MacLochlainn said she usually has a friend with a full licence to accompany her in the car, but unfortunately, she hadn’t on this occasion.

Judge O’Reilly warned her: “When you’re here, you've got to do what Irish law requires, the same way it works in Australia. In fact, the road traffic legislation in Australia is a lot stricter than it is here, and it’s rigorously enforced in Australia too.”

The judge then adjourned the case until February 17 next, adding: “I want to see her applying for the test – and tidying up whatever other loose ends need to be attended to first.”