Young mum stole car at shops and crashed into a tree

 • 10h ago

A mother-of-two stole a car from a shopping centre, drove it off and crashed it into a tree in an incident that was “completely out of character,” a court heard.

Megan Craig (26) had suffered bereavements and was going through a “harrowing” time when she took a shopper’s car and crashed it. Craig was banned from driving for two years and fined €100 when she appeared in Dublin District Court.

The accused, with an address at the Family Hub at Greencastle Parade, Coolock, pleaded guilty to unauthorised taking of a car and dangerous, uninsured and unlicensed driving in the incident.

Judge Bryan Smyth applied the Probation Act on the unauthorised taking charge, leaving her without a recorded conviction for that offence.

The court heard Craig was driving a Peugeot dangerously at Beechpark Avenue, Coolock on August 1 last year when she crashed into a tree at speed.

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When gardaí attended the scene, she admitted she had no licence or insurance. Gardaí established the car had been stolen a short while earlier.

Craig had no previous convictions, the court heard.

The accused had a very difficult time last year when she suffered bereavements, her lawyer said. She presented a letter to the court setting this out.

Her lawyer said the accused, who had two young children, apologised to the court and gardaí for the offences and asked the judge to be as lenient as possible.

Judge Smyth said he hoped things were better for Craig now after such a harrowing time.