Wicklow woman banned from driving after drug-driving conviction
The Wicklow PeopleA Wicklow woman has been disqualified from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to multiple road traffic offences.
Bridget Fleming (21), of The Orchard B&B, Sea Road, Arklow, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty at a sitting of Bray District Court to six road traffic offences and one count of theft.
The court heard that on January 15, 2025, Ms Fleming was stopped on Hawkstown Road due to a missing front headlight. She failed to produce a driving licence and was driving without a valid licence while holding only a provisional learner permit. Her Volkswagen Polo did not display the required learner plates and she was unaccompanied in the vehicle.
Ms Fleming failed a roadside drug test and was conveyed to Wicklow Garda Station for further testing. A subsequent blood test showed 25.9 nanograms of cannabis, exceeding the legal limit of five nanograms. The test also detected 35 nanograms of cocaine, which is below the legal limit.
The defendant also faced a further charge of theft from Homesavers on October 16, 2025. The court was told that two females entered the store and Ms Fleming was observed on CCTV placing fabric softener valued at €8 into a Dunnes Stores bag.
Solicitor for Ms Fleming, Brendan Maloney, told the court that his client’s mother died in 2021 at the age of 34 and that her father has struggled with addiction issues. Ms Fleming moved out of the family home when she turned 18 and has since been living in homeless accommodation.
Mr Maloney said the theft was driven by financial stress, describing it as “nonsense”. Ms Fleming accepted responsibility for the offence.
Judge David Kennedy took the driving matters into consideration and disqualified the defendant from driving for 12 months in relation to the drug-driving offence.
The matter was adjourned for the preparation of a probation report in respect of the theft charge. Ms Fleming is due to appear before Bray District Court again on March 14, 2026.