Friends gave false information after leaving scene of crash

TWO friends before Sligo District Court were charged with giving false information to gardaí after being involved in a car crash near Collooney.

The driver Conor O’Neill (21) of Leam, Boyle, Co Roscommon was fined €300 and disqualified from driving for one year while the passenger, Gary Nicholson (23) of Sheegara, Boyle was fined €300.

Both pleaded guilty to providing false information.

Inspector Donal Sweeney told the court that on October 31st 2016 at 6:20pm gardaí were called to the scene of a road traffic collision near Collooney where two men had left the scene. The BMW car had crashed into an Eircom pole and then overturned. Both the airbags were deployed.

The road was closed overnight. The car was subsequently reported stolen by O’Neill.

Defending solicitor Mr Gerard McGovern said that both men were good friends and Nicholson didn’t want to let his friend down and backed up the statement from O’Neill.

He described them as hardworking young men who both drove for a living.

The car was badly damaged in the crash and they both left the scene.

When approached by gardaí sometime later they didn’t give the proper information, the court heard.

The car belonged to O’Neill’s father and he was insured to drive.

The men had been drinking in Sligo town the day before the crash and had stayed in Ballygawley with friends.

They were on their way back to Boyle when the crash happened between Ballygawley and Collooney.

Mr McGovern said that they should have said they were driving.

A man came on the scene and spoke to them before they left.

“They should have stayed but both are driving for a living and jobs are hard to get in rural Ireland.

“The vehicle was fully insured and taxed,” he added.

There was nobody else involved in the crash.

He said the driver lost control and ended up crashing.

Judge Kevin Kilrane said O’Neill was the driver and had alcohol consumed. He crashed the car and ran from the scene and then made a false report that the vehicle was stolen. “This type of thing happens and sometimes the told story is bought but this is not the case.

He fined O’Neill €300 and disqualified him for one year.

He said that Nicholson was not the driver but he backed up events for O’Neill out of loyalty. He fined him €300.