Hit-and-run drink driver jailed for nine months

A 27-year-old Connemara motorist will serve nine months of a two-year sentence for causing serious injuries to a pedestrian who was struck from behind while walking on a footpath.

Liam Ó Maille, from Maumeen, Lettermore, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court last May to a charge of dangerous driving causing serious injury to Raymond Byrne, at Bothar Buí, Carraroe, in the early hours of July 11, 2016. Sentence was adjourned to last week’s court for the preparation of reports.

Sergeant Maria Flaherty told the hearing Mr Byrne (31), who is from Wicklow, was attending an Irish school in the area when the incident occurred.

He had been at a local night-club with friends and was walking back along the footpath to his accommodation in the early hours of the morning when he was struck from behind by a car driven by Ó Maille, then aged 25.

The collision occurred just outside a nursing home and adjacent ambulance centre and was captured on CCTV cameras.

Sgt. Flaherty said Ó Maille had been at the night-club too and had driven just 300 metres before mounting the footpath and hitting the pedestrian from behind.

He admitted being in two local pubs with friends since 2pm the preceding day, and had consumed six cans of Bulmers in the pubs followed by one vodka and orange in the night-club.

He had stopped his car ten metres from the point of impact and gone back to check the pedestrian. His car blocked the entrance to the ambulance centre and personnel, who had come out to help the victim, asked him to move his car.

He did so, but kept driving away from the scene, stopping a short distance up the road where he had a view of what was happening.

Mr Byrne sustained fractures to his spine, leg and foot and was removed to hospital by ambulance.

He told the court he sustained life-changing injuries and had been in hospital for two weeks. He spent six weeks in a wheelchair and attended the fracture clinic on his return to Dublin. He continues to need ongoing treatments, he added.

An appeal on local radio the next morning for the driver to come forward, prompted Ó Maille to confide in his mother. She contacted Gardaí and her son made full admissions when questioned by Sgt Flaherty.

She confirmed he was a hardworking young man with no previous convictions, who came from a very good family and she believed his remorse was genuine.

Two local men gave evidence in support of Ó Maille’s excellent sporting and work ethic in the local community.

Judge Brian O’Callaghan said it was a very difficult case but he noted a car is a weapon which becomes a loose cannon when in the control of a person who has consumed large quantities of alcohol.

Taking the excellent character references put before the court, along with a letter from Ó Maille’s GP into account, the judge said the appropriate sentence in the circumstances was two years in prison with the final 15 months suspended for two years.  He also disqualified Ó Maille from driving for five years.

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