Dr Robin O'Reilly was yesterday fined and banned from driving for the second time in a year after a court heard how she mounted a footpath and knocked down two pedestrians before fleeing the scene.
The St Vincent's Hospital oncologist was banned from driving for five years and fined €2,000 after she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident at the junction of O'Connell Street/Parnell Street in Dublin on February 26th last year.
In April of last year she was fined €600 and banned for a year after she hit a parked car while drink-driving on October 2nd, 2002.
Judge Geoffrey Browne told her yesterday that were it not for the fact that she had three young children she would be going to jail.
Dublin District Court heard Dr O'Reilly (38), of Leeson Park, Ranelagh, Dublin, was driving a silver Mercedes at around 12.30 a.m. and was rounding the corner at the Ambassador cinema when she mounted the pavement and hit pedestrians Mr Erik Vanneck and Mr Peter Larkin.
The car reversed off the pavement and sped off. A taxi driver followed it to an apartment complex in nearby Hill Street, and gardaí were notified. Garda Joe Fagan arrived at the apartments, but was unable to locate the driver. The following day, however, he spoke to Dr O'Reilly who admitted driving.
The court heard Mr Larkin was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries, while Mr Vanneck, who lives in Belgium, did not require any treatment.
Dr O'Reilly's lawyer said at the time the doctor was "in the throes of a marriage breakdown". She had custody of her three children, and worked full-time in St Vincent's Hospital.