‘Red with rage’ driver struck cyclist

A DRIVER’S face was ‘red with rage’ just before his car hit a ladies cycling club member’s bike, a court has heard.

One member of the club said that after the bicycle was hit, motorist John Conlon, 64, shouted, ‘You are all over the f ***** g road’ or, ‘Get off the f ***** g road’.

Ennis District Court also heard that Conlon swerved towards the group of cyclists – twice – before hitting one of them. He said this was ‘complete lies’.

However, Judge Patrick Durcan convicted Conlon of dangerous driving, which carries a mandatory two-year driving ban, and fined him €1,250 in total. He also convicted him of leaving the scene of an accident and said: ‘Anyone who does that deserves very little sympathy.’

The evidence of six of the cyclists, who saw Conlon’s car zig-zagging across the road between Lissycasey and Ballynacally in Co. Clare, was very consistent, the judge said. He said there was a blinding sun but that Conlon, a car park attendant at Tesco in Ennis, didn’t take due care and should have stopped the car.

Members of the Clare Ladies Cycling Club said Conlon swerved twice towards the seven-strong group on May 17 last. But Conlon, of Pitfield, Lissycasey, said this was ‘complete lies’.

One of the cyclists, Rose Hally, a former Bank of Ireland Ennis branch manager, said that after Conlon’s car hit Geraldine Lynch’s bike, he shouted, ‘You are all over the f ****** road’ or, ‘Get off the f ****** road’. He denied saying this or colliding with Ms Lynch’s bike, causing €600 worth of damage.

Ms Hally said all of the cyclists were in single file and that before Conlon hit Ms Lynch’s bike, he veered towards the two cyclists at the front, Aideen Considine and Christine Burke, who were on the opposite side of the road. She said that they had to avoid him.

Another cyclist who gave evidence, Áine Taaffe, said that Conlon’s face was red with rage as he was heading towards the cyclists. She said: ‘I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was astounded.’

Ms Taaffe said that after Conlon’s car veered towards Ms Considine and Ms Burke, he went back on to his own side of the road again – only to veer back towards Ms Lynch, who was towards the back of the group of cyclists. She said: ‘I thought he was in rage – his face was very red – or that he was having a medical event.’

In evidence, Conlon gave a his own account of what happened.

He said that there was no chance that he hit a cyclist. He said: ‘No way in the world.’ He also denied swerving towards the group of cyclists.

Conlon said that it was 7.45pm and that there was a blinding sun in the sky – but that he wasn’t blinded by it.

He also said he was only doing 35kph at the time.