Music teacher drove 800m in reverse after eating cannabis cake

Tom Tuite

A music teacher unwittingly ate a cannabis-laced cake before a traffic pursuit in Dublin, drove 800 metres in reverse on the wrong side and collided, a court heard.

Marta Burns (47) mistook gardaí for robbers when they approached her car at around midnight on April 29th last year at Emmet Road, Dublin 8.

However, she "took off" at speed and also called 999 to report them when they gave chase.

Burns of The Downs, Alderbrook, Ashbourne, Co Meath, was handed a two-year road ban and fined €700 by Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Tuesday.

The judge noted that she had completed a restorative justice course through the Probation Service.

Court Garda Sergeant James Ward outlined the facts after Burns pleaded guilty to dangerous driving with cannabis in her system.

The sergeant said that local drug unit officers were on patrol and saw her parked at the Emmet Road-Spa Road junction.

She was engaging with an unknown female.

They activated their blue lights. Garda Conor Conway and another officer approached her and identified themselves with their official badges.

There were two occupants in the vehicle, the accused and her son.

She refused to engage with the officers and "then placed her vehicle into reverse" and proceeded up Spa Road before going onto Saint Vincent's Street West, Dublin 8.

Burns then sped off from gardaí, took a right onto Emmet Road, reached the junction of Tyrconnell Road and Emmet Road, and stopped.

Gardaí exited their vehicle again and attempted to open the car door.

However, Burns "proceeded to reverse the vehicle back up Emmet Road on the wrong side of the road with oncoming traffic."

The court heard she continued reversing for about 800 metres, resulting in her colliding with an unknown vehicle that was occupied, but did not remain at the scene.

She almost collided with a bin lorry, and members of the public were at a bus stop where she came to a halt.

Burns had a prior conviction in Lisburn Magistrates' Court for a traffic offence more than three years ago.

Her defence counsel pleaded for leniency, saying she had been at a party earlier, had eaten a cake and was not aware there was cannabis in it.

The defence said that as gardaí first tried to approach her, she formed an impression and drove off.

When she got through to the emergency service call operator to report robbers, she learned they were gardaí and were in pursuit of her, the court heard.

As part of the restorative justice programme, she had given free music lessons and donated €60 to charities.

Counsel said she was apologetic, had a new partner and wanted to get on with her life.

Judge Kelly spared her a sentence but refused a defence request to reduce the charge to a lesser careless offence.