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Sunday World
6 days ago
- Health
- Sunday World
Woman left pensioner with ‘life changing injuries' after breaking red light
SPARED JAIL | The victim in the case suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle and a dislocated shoulder Frienna Rockett Judge Pauline Codd made the comments while imposing a 17-month suspended prison sentence on a driver who broke a red light and knocked down an elderly lady as she crossed the road, leaving her with serious and life-changing injuries. Frienna Rockett (29) was not paying attention to the road because she was trying to find her sister's home when she broke the red light at a pedestrian crossing on St Peter's Road, Crumlin and ploughed into the 81-year-old woman, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Rockett, of Ballybrack, Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm on December 16, 2022. She has no previous convictions. The victim in the case suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle and a dislocated shoulder. She spent a period of time in intensive care and in rehabilitation after the accident. Frienna Rockett In a victim impact statement read out by prosecuting counsel at an earlier sentencing hearing, the woman said the accident had a 'devastating' impact on her mental health. She said she used to be fit and active but can now no longer go to line dancing, meet her Age Action friends or go for coffee because she struggles to leave her home. 'My life is very sad and lonely now,' she said. She is 'terrified' to walk near the road or be around traffic and is also in constant pain, which makes getting around difficult, the court heard. She said she can no longer drive or take public transport and relies on a walking aid and a mobility scooter. Outlining the extent of her injuries, she said she is in pain 'all day, every day'. 'I'm pretty much helpless,' she said, adding that her son is now her full-time carer. 'I feel vulnerable all the time and live with a lot of fear.' The court heard Rockett was driving her Volkswagan Golf car around 12.30pm on the day in question when she knocked down the woman who was out walking her dog. She stayed at the scene and called emergency services, the court heard. Rockett was not speeding, she tested negative for any intoxicating substances and her paperwork and insurance was all in order, the court heard. When questioned by gardaí at the scene, Rockett said she was 'driving at a snail's pace', that the woman 'came out of nowhere' and the traffic light at the pedestrian crossing was green. Frienna Rockett News in 90 June 4th However, CCTV footage of the incident along with footage taken from a dashcam of a van travelling directly behind Rockett showed her car breaking the red light. The CCTV footage was played in court during an earlier sentencing and the victim covered her eyes throughout to avoid watching it. Rockett later said she took her eyes off the road as she was looking for her sister's house. The maximum sentence for careless driving causing serious bodily harm is two years' imprisonment and / or a fine of up to €10,000. Imposing sentence today, Judge Codd said Rockett's 'carelessness was more than a momentary lapse' and that she had allowed the search for her sister's house 'to become a distraction'. Judge Codd said it is incumbent on drivers to 'take extra care in a residential area where there is often the danger of people crossing legitimately or illegitimately'. The judge noted that a car 'can become a maiming or killing machine if not driven with due regard for all road users, especially pedestrians'. Judge Codd said the victim was a 'courageous and brave person' who had lived an active life before this accident. She said the woman had faced 'adversity with dignity', and that this incident 'reflects how one act of carelessness by a motorist can profoundly affect the life of another'. She set a headline sentence of 21 months, which she reduced to 17 months, taking the mitigation into consideration. The judge suspended the sentence on strict conditions for one year. She also imposed a two-year driving disqualification on Rockett. At a previous sentence hearing, Craig Phillips BL, defending, said Rockett was very remorseful for her actions, which were entirely unintentional. The court heard she worked as a social worker for a charity but that the accident took its toll on her and she is now working in a bar. A letter of apology for the victim was handed into court. Judge Codd noted that drivers must always be careful when driving, particularly in residential areas. 'The consequences are enormous for (the victim),' she said. 'Her life as she knew it has been undone by this accident. 'One never intends to go out and do it, but when one is driving a car there is a massive responsibility. It can have fatal consequences. I consider going through a red light to be a very serious matter, especially at a pedestrian crossing.'
Sunday World
20-05-2025
- Sunday World
Woman broke red light and knocked down 81-year-old dog walker, court hears
Frienna Rockett (29) was not paying attention to the road because she was trying to find her sister's home A driver broke a red light and knocked down an elderly lady as she crossed the road with her dog, leaving her with serious and life-changing injuries, a Dublin court has heard. Frienna Rockett (29) was not paying attention to the road because she was trying to find her sister's home when she broke the red light at a pedestrian crossing on St Peter's Road, Crumlin and ploughed into the 81-year-old woman, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Rockett, of Ballybrack, Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm on December 16, 2022. She has no previous convictions. The victim in the case suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle and a dislocated shoulder. She spent a period of time in intensive care and in rehabilitation after the accident. In a victim impact statement read out by prosecuting counsel yesterday, the woman said the accident had a 'devastating' impact on her mental health. She said she used to be fit and active but can now no longer go to line dancing, meet her Age Action friends or go for coffee because she struggles to leave her home. 'My life is very sad and lonely now,' she said. She is 'terrified' to walk near the road or be around traffic and is also in constant pain, which makes getting around difficult, the court heard. She said she can no longer drive or take public transport and relies on a walking aid and a mobility scooter. Outlining the extent of her injuries, she said she is in pain 'all day, every day'. 'I'm pretty much helpless,' she said, adding that her son is now her fulltime carer. 'I feel vulnerable all the time and live with a lot of fear.' The court heard Rockett was driving her Volkswagan Golf car around 12.30pm on the day in question when she knocked down the woman who was out walking her dog. She stayed at the scene and called emergency services, the court heard. She was not speeding, she tested negative for any intoxicating substances and her paperwork and insurance was all in order, the court heard. When questioned by gardaí at the scene, Rockett said she was 'driving at a snail's pace', that the woman 'came out of nowhere' and the traffic light at the pedestrian crossing was green. However, CCTV footage of the incident along with footage taken from a dashcam of a van travelling directly behind Rockett showed her car breaking the red light. Frienna Rockett (29) was not paying attention to the road because News in 90 Seconds - May 20th The footage was played in court and the victim, who was in court for the sentence hearing, covered her eyes throughout to avoid watching it. Rockett later said she took her eyes off the road as she was looking for her sister's house. Craig Phillips BL, defending, said Rockett was very remorseful for her actions, which were entirely unintentional. The court heard she worked as a social worker for a charity but that the accident took its toll on her and she is now working in a bar. A letter of apology for the victim was handed into court. Judge Pauline Codd noted that drivers must always be careful when driving, particularly in residential areas. 'The consequences are enormous for (the victim),' she said. 'Her life as she knew it has been undone by this accident. 'One never intends to go out and do it, but when one is driving a car there is a massive responsibility. It can have fatal consequences. I consider going through a red light to be a very serious matter, especially at a pedestrian crossing.' The court heard the maximum sentence for careless driving causing serious bodily harm is two years' imprisonment and / or a fine of up to €10,000. Judge Codd adjourned the matter for finalisation on June 4.
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Elderly woman says 8 heartbreaking words after being hit by 'distracted' driver
The elderly woman who was struck by Frienna Rockett, 29, said the collision had left her struggling to leave the house and that she was not in pain "all day, every day" An elderly woman said eight heart-breaking words after she was mowed down by a "distracted" driver. Frienna Rockett, 29, had not been paying attention to the road as she had been trying to locate her sister's home when she broke a red light on St Peter's Road, Crumlin, Dublin, when she ploughed into the 81-tear-old woman, Dublin's Circuit Criminal Court heard. Rockett, from Ballybrack, in County Wexford, and pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm on December 16, 2022. It was heard she had no previous convictions. The elderly woman suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle, as well as a dislocated shoulder. She went on to spend some time in intensive care as well as in rehabilitation following the collision. In a victim impact statement read out by the prosecution, the victim said the collision had been "devastating" to her mental health. She had been fit and active but now cannot go line dancing, or meet her friends as she struggles to leave home. 'My life is very sad and lonely now,' she said. The woman is now "terrified" to walk close to the road or be around traffic. She also lives in constant pain, making getting around difficult. She added, she could no longer drive or take public transport, now relying on a walking aid and mobility scooter. Speaking about her injuries, the victim said she was in pain "all day, every day." She added: "I'm pretty much helpless. I feel vulnerable all the time and live with a lot of fear." The court heard how Rockett had been driving her Volkswagen Gold at about 12:30pm on the day of the collision when she knocked down the woman. She stayed at the scene and alerted emergency services. She tested negative for intoxicating substances and her paperwork and insurance was in order, the court heard. When questioned by police, Rocket said she had been driving "at a snail's pace" and that the woman "came out from nowhere," while the traffic light at the crossing had been green. But CCTV footage of the incident along with footage taken from a dashcam of a van travelling directly behind Rockett showed her car did indeed break the red light, the Irish Mirror reported. When the video was played in court, the victim covered her eyes to avoid watching it. Rockett later said she took her eyes off the road to look for her sister's home. Judge Pauline Codd noted drivers must always be careful when driving, particularly in residential areas. "The consequences are enormous for (the victim),' she said. 'Her life as she knew it has been undone by this accident. One never intends to go out and do it, but when one is driving a car there is a massive responsibility. It can have fatal consequences. I consider going through a red light to be a very serious matter, especially at a pedestrian crossing." The court heard the maximum sentence for careless driving causing serious bodily harm is two years' imprisonment and/ or a fine of up to €10,000. Judge Codd adjourned the matter until June 4.
Dublin Live
20-05-2025
- Dublin Live
Woman hit by driver who broke south Dublin red light says life is 'sad and lonely'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A driver broke a red light and knocked down an elderly lady as she crossed the road with her dog, leaving her with serious and life-changing injuries, a Dublin court has heard. Frienna Rockett (29) was not paying attention to the road because she was trying to find her sister's home when she broke the red light at a pedestrian crossing on St Peter's Road in Dublin 12 and ploughed into the 81-year-old woman, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Rockett, of Ballybrack, Kilmacthomas, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm on December 16, 2022. She has no previous convictions. The victim in the case suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle and a dislocated shoulder. She spent a period of time in intensive care and in rehabilitation after the collision. In a victim impact statement read out by prosecuting counsel today, the woman said the collision had a 'devastating' impact on her mental health. She said she used to be fit and active but can now no longer go to line dancing, meet her Age Action friends or go for coffee because she struggles to leave her home. 'My life is very sad and lonely now,' she said. She is 'terrified' to walk near the road or be around traffic and is also in constant pain, which makes getting around difficult, the court heard. She said she can no longer drive or take public transport and relies on a walking aid and a mobility scooter. Outlining the extent of her injuries, she said she is in pain 'all day, every day'. 'I'm pretty much helpless,' she said, adding that her son is now her fulltime carer. 'I feel vulnerable all the time and live with a lot of fear.' The court heard Rockett was driving her Volkswagan Golf car around 12.30pm on the day in question when she knocked down the woman who was out walking her dog. She stayed at the scene and called emergency services, the court heard. She was not speeding, she tested negative for any intoxicating substances and her paperwork and insurance was all in order, the court heard. When questioned by gardaí at the scene, Rockett said she was 'driving at a snail's pace', that the woman 'came out of nowhere' and the traffic light at the pedestrian crossing was green. However, CCTV footage of the incident along with footage taken from a dashcam of a van travelling directly behind Rockett showed her car breaking the red light. The footage was played in court and the victim, who was in court for the sentence hearing, covered her eyes throughout to avoid watching it. Rockett later said she took her eyes off the road as she was looking for her sister's house. Craig Phillips BL, defending, said Rockett was very remorseful for her actions, which were entirely unintentional. The court heard she worked as a social worker for a charity but that the accident took its toll on her and she is now working in a bar. A letter of apology for the victim was handed into court. Judge Pauline Codd noted that drivers must always be careful when driving, particularly in residential areas. 'The consequences are enormous for (the victim),' she said. 'Her life as she knew it has been undone by this accident. One never intends to go out and do it, but when one is driving a car there is a massive responsibility. It can have fatal consequences. I consider going through a red light to be a very serious matter, especially at a pedestrian crossing.' The court heard the maximum sentence for careless driving causing serious bodily harm is two years' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to €10,000. Judge Codd adjourned the matter for finalisation on June 4. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Woman knocked down by driver who ran red light says life is 'sad and lonely now'
A driver broke a red light and knocked down an elderly lady as she crossed the road with her dog, leaving her with serious and life-changing injuries, a Dublin court has heard. Frienna Rockett (29) was not paying attention to the road because she was trying to find her sister's home when she broke the red light at a pedestrian crossing on St Peter's Road, Crumlin and ploughed into the 81-year-old woman, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Rockett, of Ballybrack, Kilmacthomas, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm on December 16, 2022. She has no previous convictions. The victim in the case suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle and a dislocated shoulder. She spent a period of time in intensive care and in rehabilitation after the collision. In a victim impact statement read out by prosecuting counsel today, the woman said the collision had a 'devastating' impact on her mental health. She said she used to be fit and active but can now no longer go to line dancing, meet her Age Action friends or go for coffee because she struggles to leave her home. 'My life is very sad and lonely now,' she said. She is 'terrified' to walk near the road or be around traffic and is also in constant pain, which makes getting around difficult, the court heard. She said she can no longer drive or take public transport and relies on a walking aid and a mobility scooter. Outlining the extent of her injuries, she said she is in pain 'all day, every day'. 'I'm pretty much helpless,' she said, adding that her son is now her fulltime carer. 'I feel vulnerable all the time and live with a lot of fear.' The court heard Rockett was driving her Volkswagan Golf car around 12.30pm on the day in question when she knocked down the woman who was out walking her dog. She stayed at the scene and called emergency services, the court heard. She was not speeding, she tested negative for any intoxicating substances and her paperwork and insurance was all in order, the court heard. When questioned by gardaí at the scene, Rockett said she was 'driving at a snail's pace', that the woman 'came out of nowhere' and the traffic light at the pedestrian crossing was green. However, CCTV footage of the incident along with footage taken from a dashcam of a van travelling directly behind Rockett showed her car breaking the red light. The footage was played in court and the victim, who was in court for the sentence hearing, covered her eyes throughout to avoid watching it. Rockett later said she took her eyes off the road as she was looking for her sister's house. Craig Phillips BL, defending, said Rockett was very remorseful for her actions, which were entirely unintentional. The court heard she worked as a social worker for a charity but that the accident took its toll on her and she is now working in a bar. A letter of apology for the victim was handed into court. Judge Pauline Codd noted that drivers must always be careful when driving, particularly in residential areas. 'The consequences are enormous for (the victim),' she said. 'Her life as she knew it has been undone by this accident. One never intends to go out and do it, but when one is driving a car there is a massive responsibility. It can have fatal consequences. I consider going through a red light to be a very serious matter, especially at a pedestrian crossing.' The court heard the maximum sentence for careless driving causing serious bodily harm is two years' imprisonment and / or a fine of up to €10,000. Judge Codd adjourned the matter for finalisation on June 4.
