A man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a 51-year-old woman who was knocked down by a car after attending the funeral of her uncle.
Michael Lucey (42), of Derryvaleen, Ballingeary, Co Cork, appeared before Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Friday morning where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Gobnait Twomey.
Lucey also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated. The court head that the quantity of alcohol detected on the date of the offence was 179mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine. The offence occurred on December 13th, 2022, in Ballingeary village.
Defence counsel Elizabeth O’Connell SC said it was an “awful situation” and that her client hoped that his guilty plea would be of “some ease” following the tremendous loss of Ms Twomey.
Victim impact statements are to be prepared in the case. The sentencing hearing was adjoured for the preparation of same.
Judge Helen Boyle offered her sincere condolences to members of the Twomey family who were present in court for the short sentencing hearing. Mr Lucey was remanded on bail until the next hearing of the case on February 13th, 2024.
Ms Twomey was a native of Ballingeary who had been living in Finglas in Dublin at the time of her death. The physiotherapist had returned home for the funeral of her uncle Willie when tragedy struck.
Her funeral mass subsequently took place at Saint Finbarr and Ronan's Church in Ballingeary. Catriona, a sister of the deceased, told mourners that Gobnait cared deeply for people.
"Anyone she spoke to felt that they were the centre of her universe at that time. She was a magnet where everybody gravitated. She was great craic. And if there wasn't craic she made it happen.
"She was generous to a fault with him time, thoughts, words, deeds and especially her love. She wore her heart on her sleeve and what you saw was what you got."
Gobnait is survived by her partner Jay, her parents Eibhlis and Johnny and her siblings Caitriona, Sean, Noel, Ninidh, Ronan, Cathal, Iarlaith and Ciaran. She was laid to rest at St Gobnait's Cemetery in Ballyvourney, Co Cork.
