Driver given suspended sentence and two-year ban after woman seriously injured

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Frienna Rockett received a suspended 17-month sentence and a two-year driving disqualification at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm. The proceedings were reported on June 4, 2025.

On December 16, 2022, Rockett’s Volkswagen Golf broke a red light at a pedestrian crossing on St Peter’s Road, Crumlin, and hit an 81-year-old woman walking her dog. Rockett had been looking for her sister’s home and was not paying attention to the road.

The woman suffered a brain bleed, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle, and a dislocated shoulder. In a victim impact statement, she said she struggled to leave home and was in constant pain. Her son had become her full-time carer.

The court heard that Rockett stayed at the scene and called emergency services. She was not speeding and tested negative for intoxicating substances. At the scene, she told gardaí she was driving at a snail’s pace, that the woman came out of nowhere and that the crossing light was green. CCTV and dashcam footage showed her car breaking the red light. Rockett later said she had taken her eyes off the road while looking for her sister’s house.

Judge Pauline Codd said Rockett’s carelessness was more than a momentary lapse. She set a headline sentence of 21 months and reduced it to 17 months after considering mitigation. At an earlier hearing, defence counsel Craig Phillips said Rockett was very remorseful and her actions were entirely unintentional. A letter of apology for the victim was handed into court.