Motorist ban after fatal crash

A MOTORIST involved in a crash which claimed the life of a 69-year-old man was banned from driving for three years yesterday.

William Mark Murphy was driving a lorry which collided with a tractor pulling a trailer on the A4 between Dungannon and Ballygawley, Co Tyrone.

Father-of-four Phelim Brady, who was standing on the drawbar of the tractor, was killed after the crash at the junction of the Killybracken Road on June 25, 2014. Murphy, 53, from Prospect Road in Castlewellan, Co Down, was also handed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for causing Mr Brady’s death by careless driving.

Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, heard the defendant was driving in the inside lane and had started to try to overtake the tractor and trailer but was forced to abort the manoeuvre after he saw a car travelling in the outside lane. He swerved back into the inside lane but was too close to the back of the tractor, failed to break in time and hit the vehicle.

The court heard Mr Brady, from Caledon, suffered “multiple injuries” and died at the scene.

Defence lawyer Kieran Mallon said his client has been “absolutely consumed with grief and remorse”.

Passing sentence in the “tragic, tragic case”, Judge Neil Rafferty told Murphy: “You will live with this for the rest of your life.”