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A 32-year-old woman today escaped a jail sentence for violating Covid-19 travel restrictions after catching a bus from Limerick with the aim of walking to the prom at Salthill in Galway with her then-boyfriend.
Enise O’Keeffe “just wanted a few hours away” from home when she boarded a Galway-bound bus in Limerick to violate Covid-19 travel restrictions during the shutdown, her attorney, Daragh Hassett, said.
Hassett told the Ennis District Court that his client intended to walk to the prom at Salthill in Galway with her then boyfriend before returning to their home in Limerick.
Speaking at today’s hearing, Mr. Hassett said that Ms. O’Keeffe is a full-time caregiver for her mother, who uses a wheelchair, adding that Ms. O’Keeffe had not left the home since Christmas, apart from visits to his father lives nearby.
Judge Patrick Durcan fined Ms O’Keeffe 100 euros after she pleaded guilty to violating government health regulations aimed at preventing, limiting, minimizing or slowing the spread of Covid-19 in Portdrine, Cratloe in the southeast of Clare on April 15.
Sergeant Aiden Lonergan told the court that Ms. O’Keeffe was found on a Bus Éireann bus at a Garda checkpoint.
The checkpoint was in place as part of Operation Fanacht de Garda, which was aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus across the country during the shutdown.
Sergeant Lonergan stated that the penalties in case of conviction are a prison term of up to six months and a fine of 1,500 euros.
Ms. O’Keeffe’s co-defendant, Martin Desmond (40) of Church Street, St John’s Square, Limerick, will plead not guilty and contest the charge.
Desmond’s attorney, Tara Godfrey, told Judge Durcan that Desmond was unable to attend court as he was suspicious of Covid-19 and is awaiting test results.
Judge Durcan deferred Mr. Desmond’s case until November.
In imposing the € 100 fine on Ms O’Keeffe, Judge Durcan said his approach was to impose severe penalties for Covid-19 breaches.
However, Judge Durcan stated that Ms. O’Keeffe’s violation was at the lower end of the scale.
Judge Durcan stated that at that time, the country was in a very serious state and was very concerned.
Judge Durcan added that what Ms. O’Keeffe did was very reckless.
Hassett told the court that O’Keeffe panicked when he told Gardaí that he was on his way to see a sick relative in Galway.
Mr. Hassett stated that Ms. O’Keeffe, of Ballynanty Road, Limerick, regrets saying that and regrets getting on the bus.
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