Father charged with impeding son’s prosecution
THE father of the man jailed for dangerous driving causing the death in 2012 of Gneeveguilla father-of-four Paud O’Leary has appeared this week before Cork Circuit Court charged with impeding the prosecution of his son.
Dan Joe Fitzgerald of Knockeen, Knockduff, Meelin, County Cork denies a charge that between July 1 and July 13, 2012 he did an act or acts with the intention of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his son, Shane, for dangerous driving causing the death of Mr O’Leary.
Opening the prosecution case against Mr Fitzgerald Snr at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, barrister Siobhan Lankford BL said the state would allege Shane Fitzgerald’s ferry fare to the UK, his visa to Australia and his air fare to Australia were all paid for with his father’s credit card.
Earlier the court heard that Mr Fitzgerald Snr had been asked by gardai to contact his son, Shane in the UK to find out the location of his grey Toyota Landcruiser as gardai suspected that the vehicle may have been involved in a fatal hit and run which killed Mr O’Leary.
A YOUNG man convicted of a fatal hit and run in 2012 which claimed the life of a father-offour from Kerry, left for the UK within 24 hours of the incident with his fare being paid for using a credit card belonging to his father, a court has heard.
Shane Fitzgerald from Knockeen, Meelin in North Cork left his home and travelled by ferry to the UK just 23 hours after he fatally injured cyclist Paud O’Leary in Gneeveguilla and the ferry fare was paid for using a credit card belonging to his father, Dan Joe Fitzgerald.
Mr Fitzgerald Snr of Knockeen, Knockduff, Meelin, County Cork denies a charge that between July 1 and July 13, 2012 he did an act or acts with the intention of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his son, Shane for dangerous driving causing the death of Mr O’Leary.
The father-of-four was fatally injured when he was struck while out on a training cycle near his home at 5am on July 1, 2012 and on March 20, 2015, Shane Fitzgerald, then 23, was convicted and jailed for five years at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court for dangerous driving causing his death.
Opening the prosecution case against Mr Fitzgerald Snr at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, barrister Siobhan Lankford BL said the state would allege Shane Fitzgerald’s ferry fare to the UK, his visa to Australia and his air fare to Australia were all paid for with his father’s credit card.
Witness, Declan Moynihan, Irish Ferries Marketing Systems Manager, said an online booking was made for Shane Fitzgerald and a car at 4.13am on July 2, 2012 on the ferry from Dublin to Liverpool and the fare was paid for using an AIB Maestra Debit Card registered to Dan Joe Fitzgerald.
Josephine Jones of AIB Bank told the court the Maestra debit card was linked to a bank account at the AIB Bank in Newmarket belonging to Dan Joe Fitzgerald and that it was the only card attached to the account and that a payment of €179 was made from the account on July 5, 2012.
Witness, Hana Hlochova of travel firm, Visa First said they organised a work holiday visa in Australia and other matters, including an Australian bank account, tax number and SIM card and the €573 fee was subsequently paid using an AIB Laser card registered to a Daniel Fitzgerald.
Manager with World Wide Flights Karim Kassali told the court that they arranged a one way flight from Heathrow to Perth in the name of Shane Fitzgerald on July 12, 2012 and that the £797 ticket was registered as being bought by Daniel Fitzgerald as his Laser card was used to buy it.
Earlier the court heard that Mr Fitzgerald Snr had been asked by gardai to contact his son, Shane in the UK to find out the location of his grey Toyota Landcruiser as gardaí suspected that the vehicle may have been involved in the fatal hit and run which killed Mr O’Leary.
Det Garda Padraig Reddington said he met Mr Fitzgerald Snr on July 5, 2012 and he told him that his son was in the UK since June 30 but when he met Mr Fitzgerald Snr’s partner and Shane Fitzgerald’s mother, Noreen O’Donovan, she said her son had left for the UK on July 2 or July 3.
Sgt Paul Ahern said that he called to Mr Fitzgerald Snr on July 12 as he knew his son was the registered owner of the Landcruiser and was in the UK and his purpose was to get Mr Fitzgerald Snr to make contact with his son to find out where the Landcruiser was.
Mr Fitzgerald said he would not ring him in his presence but would ring him later as the call would usually go to voicemail and his son would ring him back but when Sgt Ahern rang him on July 15, Mr Fitzgerald said he had not rung his son as he believed gardai would listen in on the conversation.
The case continues