Bench warrant issued for Carlow-based woman

A woman who was raised in care but graduated to become a social worker had a bench warrant issued for her arrest last week (25 June) after she failed to appear in Athy District Court to face five charges of dangerous driving, as well as driving without insurance, drunk and drug driving.

Chantelle Dowling (28) of Willow Park, Tullow Road, Carlow allegedly committed all these offences on the night of 15 January at Church Road, Athy and the on the new Distributor Road.

Judge Desmond Zaidan was told that “she was stopped to be drug tested and she took off”, during which pursuit the gardaí noted six examples of alleged dangerous driving (section 53 of the Road Traffic Acts).

“When we subsequently stopped the car, cocaine was detected,” Sergeant Dave Hanrahan told the court.

Ms Dowling's solicitor Frank Taaffe could only shrug when asked where his client was, and the judge was left with no choice but to issue the arrest warrant.