Suspended prison sentence and six-year driving ban

A WOMAN of Georgian nationality was given a suspended prison sentence and put off the road for six years when she appeared at Monaghan District Court for driving offences committed while already disqualified.

Lana Gorgodze (33) with an address at Lisanisk House, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, admitted not having insurance or a valid licence when stopped as a driver on the Ardee Road, Magheross, Carrickmacross, on August 5, 2024.

Inspector Declan McGarvey told the court that Ms Gorgodze had been disqualified from driving for four years and fined €400 for a no insurance offence in November 2023, with a previous offence also dating back to July 2022.

The inspector confirmed to Judge Raymond Finnegan that she was therefore disqualified from driving at the time of the offence before the court.

Dimitry Grinberg BL said his client had told him she previously held a Georgian driving licence but had been unable to change this and therefore unable to obtain insurance.

She was staying at the refugee centre in Carrickmacross, and had three children. She was accepting that she made another mistake and wished to apologise, counsel said.

But Judge Finnegan rejected that the offence before the court was a mistake and said the defendant “knew exactly what she was doing”.

Mr Grinberg further explained that, when a neighbour moved away, he left the car to his client to re-sell. However, it was a rainy day, and she unfortunately decided to use the car to pick her child up from school.

Judge Finnegan imposed a five-month prison sentence for the no insurance offence, suspending it “reluctantly” for 24 months, and he also disqualified Ms Gorgodze from driving for six years.

She was given five months to pay a €350 fine for not having a valid driving licence on the occasion.

The judge made it very clear that any further offences of a similar nature would see her going to prison.