A CASTLEFIN woman has been sent forward to the next sitting of Letterkenny Circuit Court after tendering a signed guilty plea to her involvement in a road traffic collision which left a ten year old girl suffering “catastrophic” injuries that resulted in the child undergoing up to 30 operations.

Geraldine Havlin, with an address at Dungorman, appeared at Falcarragh District Court charged with driving a vehicle without due care and attention thereby causing serious bodily harm to another individual. The incident occurred at Fanmore, Falcarragh, on July 13, 2023.

At a previous sitting of Falcarragh Court, Judge Éiteáin Cunningham refused jurisdiction in the case when learning of the extent of the injuries.

Defence counsel, Simon Gillespie, B.L., told last week’s court sitting that the injuries sustained by the young girl were “horrific and very serious”.

He requested that legal aid be granted to cover a second counsel when the case comes up before the Circuit Court on July 8. The driver of the other car involved in the collision suffered a broken collar bone while the child sustained a broken wrist and internal bleeding. She had been removed to Letterkenny University Hospital but was released that evening.

However, two days later she had become unwell and was readmitted to hospital. She subsequently underwent a skin graft and in addition had to have up to 30 operations. The accused sustained a broken sternum as a result of the accident. At last week’s sitting of Falcarragh Court, Judge Ciaran Liddy granted an order returning the defendant to the Circuit Court on the sole charge facing her.