Cork woman drove without licence to get medication for her sick husband, court told

A Cork woman who was caught driving without a driving licence or insurance did so because she needed to get medication for her sick husband, the district court has heard.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy told Clonakilty District Court that Winnie Maughan, aged 54, of John O’Sullivan Place, Cahermore, Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, was the driver of a Nissan Qashqai car stopped at Emmet Square, Clonakilty, Co. Cork at 2.30pm on December 8, 2025.

The car did not have a valid insurance disc displayed and Maughan did not have a driving licence. 

She was asked to produce the documents at a garda station but failed to do so and later admitted by phone that she did not have a valid driving licence and was not insured to drive.

The court was told that Maughan had two previous convictions from 2008, one for theft and one for criminal damage which was taken into consideration at the same time.

Conrad Murphy, defending, said the mother of eight had lost one child and her husband was not well and she acted as his full-time carer. He said that on the day in question Maughan had driven her husband’s car to Clonakilty in order to get medication for him. 

He said she was pleading guilty and “would not be driving again”. 

For driving without insurance Judge Andrew Cody disqualified Maughan from driving for two years and fined her €300 allowing six months to pay the fine. She was also fined €200 for driving without a licence.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.