This article is from page 8 of the 2005-10-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
CHARGES against a 27-year-old an- tiques restorer who had been accused of involvement in two hit and run acci- dents have been dismissed.
Keith Russell, of 30 Cahercalla Heights, Ennis, denied he was the driver of a van involved in two accidents, dur- ing which €7,000 damage was caused to four cars, on June 12, 2004.
Taxi driver Michael O’Connor told Ennis District Court he was driving along the Clare Road towards Captain Mac’s cross at around 2am and stopped AMA eCoM DECAL RODW OSLO mK SLOD
He said a van came along behind him and crashed into the back of his car, be- fore driving off.
He said “Clare Van Hire” was writ- ten on the van and he took down the registration number. The driver was a young man in his early 20s with sandy hair but he could not be certain as to his identity.
It was alleged in court that the van then took a sharp bend, hit two parked cars outside a house in Gallows Hull, and continued on to the home of the ac- cused, where it was found parked in the CTU AoANe WA
Garda Mark Murphy went to the scene
of the accident and noticed a trail of lig- uid on the road, which he followed.
The trail turned right into Cahercalla Heights and stopped at the home of the accused. Gda Murphy said a white van was parked in the accused’s driveway, bearing the same logo and registration identified by the taxi driver.
He said a young man came running out of the house. “I asked him who was driving the van. He said, ‘I was driv- ing. No-one else in the house’,” said the garda. He said the accused was drunk and was unsteady on his feet.
When cautioned, the accused then strenuously denied driving the van.
Results of an intoxylser test taken by the accused showed there was 75 micro- grams of alcohol per 100 mls of breath.
He had the van on loan from Clare Van Hire and said he had full use it.
According to the owner of the van, the accused was ‘the only person to have access to it’, said gardai.
Defending solicitor Eugene O’Kelly applied for direction on a number of points including that the State’s case was built on circumstantial evidence.
Judge Mangan said “I have to hold with the defence. If the State wants to seek judicial review, it is a matter for the SIF Kone