Driver avoids prison term after hitting female cyclist

AN 18-year-old driver, who fled the scene after his car hit a cyclist, has been sentenced to community service rather than prison.

Melvin Rattigan, now aged 20, failed to observe oncoming traffic before hitting cyclist Laura Briggs, leaving her with serious injuries, including a hairline skull fracture.

Rattigan was an inexperienced driver and had neither a full driving licence nor insurance.

He told gardaí that he ‘panicked’ after hitting the cyclist and drove off. He claimed not to have seen or heard the taxi driver who followed him and told him to return to the scene.

Rattigan, of Saint Mary’s Park, Dunsink Lane, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Briggs at Lower Dominick Street, Dublin on May 13, 2015. He has no previous convictions. Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Karen O’Connor said it was an unusual case of dangerous driving causing serious harm, in that Rattigan had not been speeding, nor had he drunk alcohol or taken illicit substances.

She said it was at the ‘lower end’ of the range of seriousness for such offences, because although Rattigan should have observed the cyclist, ‘he simply didn’t see her’.

Pending a report from the Probation Services, she sentenced Rattigan to 240 hours of community service in lieu of two years in jail.

Rattigan made €3,000 available by way of redress, but the court heard that Ms Briggs declined the money and asked that it be given to St Francis Hospice and a youth charity.

At the original sentence hearing, Garda Niall McCormack said Ms Briggs had been cycling home from work at lunchtime. Both parties had a green light but Ms Briggs had the right of way as Rattigan was attempting to make a right turn from Dorset Street onto Dominick Street.

Rattigan turned and did not see cyclist in oncoming traffic.

Rattigan told gardaí he thought Ms Briggs had got back up and was okay after the collision.

He said that he ‘absolutely panicked’ and drove off.

‘He simply did not see her’