Farmer hit and killed woman while over the drink-driving limit on day he buried his father
Newly qualified physio was struck after she attended a different funeral in the town
A MAN who had attended the funeral of his father got into a car the same day while over the drink-driving limit and knocked down and killed a woman who had travelled for another funeral, a court has heard.
Gobnait Twomey, 51, a native of Ballingeary village in Co. Cork, had graduated from college as a physiotherapist just months before her death on December 13, 2022.
The barrister representing farmer Michael Lucey, 42, of Derryvaleen, Ballingeary, Co. Cork, said that he would live with the guilt of being responsible for the death of Ms Twomey for the rest of his life. Last November, Mr Lucey pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Ms Twomey.
Barrister Elizabeth O’Connell, representing Mr Lucey at yesterday’s sentencing hearing, told Judge Colin Daly that ‘there are other prisons other than those made of stone’.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that the accident occurred at 1.10am on December 13, 2022 in Ballingeary. Garda Deirdre O’Mahony said that early that day, Mr Lucey had attended the funeral
‘I have nobody to live for now’
of his father whilst Ms Twomey had travelled from her home in Dublin for the funeral of her uncle who had died suddenly.
Mr Lucey had attended a reception after the funeral of his father.
However, he took the car keys of another vehicle from another man whom he felt had too much too drink. He drove down Main Street in Ballingeary.
The road narrowed on the bend where the street lighting was of poor quality.
At that time, Ms Twomey, her sister and her mother were exchanging condolences with a brother of the defendant and another man. The Hyundai car struck Gobnait Twomey who was pronounced dead at the scene. Other persons present were injured in the incident.
Garda O’Mahony said Mr Lucey was visibly distressed when he realised that he had killed Ms Twomey. The court heard that the quantity of alcohol detected in his system on the date of the offence was 179 mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine.
Dash-cam footage of the scene obtained by gardaí revealed that Mr Lucey had been driving at an average speed of 27.3kph, which was under the speed limit.
Ms O’Connell said that as her client was over the drink-driving limit, his reaction time was poor. The mourners were also all in black and the lighting was relatively poor. She said that her client was hugely remorseful for what had happened and wanted to apologise profusely to the family of the deceased.
The barrister said that Mr Lucey, who has no previous convictions, was a thoroughly decent man.
Ms O’Connell added that her client wasn’t a heavy or even a regular drinker.
Jay Ammari, the partner of Ms Twomey, made a powerful victim impact statement. He said he was at their home in Dublin at 5am on December 13, 2022, having attended a work Christmas party.
He was woken by a knock at the door. Two gardaí informed him that his partner had died. ‘It was like being stabbed. It was a shock for me. I thought Ballingeary was the safest place in the world,’ he said.
Mr Ammari said that Ms Twomey had dedicated the last few years of her life to her studies. He told Judge Daly that she had graduated from college the September before her death.
‘The day after she died, she received an offer from a recruitment agency. I lost my best friend. We were together 11 years,’ he added.
The French national said that since the sudden death of his partner, his life has been completely empty. He pays his rent and bills and goes to work but his existence feels meaningless.
He said: ‘I have nobody to live for now. It hurts me to go to Cork. Cork was Gobnait and Gobnait was Cork. I miss her every day.’
Seán Twomey, the brother of Ms Twomey, also made a powerful victim impact statement on behalf of his family. Ms Twomey was one of nine children.
He said that Gobnait had the travel bug from the time she went on a J1 visa to America as a teenager. She had made friends all over the world. He stressed that Gobnait was ‘generous to a fault’ and wherever she was, ‘craic’ followed. He said: ‘She wore her heart on her sleeve. She was the best of all of us.’
Pádraig Horgan, who was injured in the collision in Ballingeary, also delivered a victim impact statement. He said that he would never forget seeing Eiblis Twomey kneeling over the body of her daughter on the road. He said: ‘This was a harrowing experience. It will haunt me every day.’
Mr Horgan suffers from back injuries which impact on the quality of his life.
Michael Lucey pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Gobnait Twomey.
He also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and to a second charge of dangerous driving.
Sentencing in the case was adjourned until this afternoon to facilitate the reading of reports by Judge Daly.
‘She was the best of all of us’