The mother of a motorcyclist killed in collision three years ago has said his loss has left a “void” in the family.
In a powerful and emotional victim impact statement, Annette Keane told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that her youngest son John (34) was a “kind and caring person” who was heavily involved in charity work through his life.
Over the last 12 months of his life, Mr Keane had voluntarily delivered PPE throughout the country during the Covid pandemic.
Mrs Keane said her son was “so helpful to everyone”, and is greatly missed by his older brothers, nieces and the wider family.
She described a “sadness in their lives”, speaking about a “void” and a “big hole” in the family.
Mr Keane was killed following a collision between his motorcycle and a car driven by Karl Ennis (65) on the evening of April 14th, 2021.
Ennis was completing a right turn from Northwest Business Park onto Mitchelstown Road, when his black Peugeot coupé collided with Mr Keane's black Yamaha motorcycle.
Mr Keane's parents, Annette and John Snr, along with other family members were present in court for the sentence hearing.
We don't wish any harm on the man who was driving the car. I feel for him deeply too
“We don't wish any harm on the man who was driving the car. I feel for him deeply too,” Mrs Keane told the court.
She shook the defendant's hand as she walked to the witness box to read the statement. Ennis could be heard saying “I'm sorry” before they hugged briefly.
Ennis pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving. The court heard that he was initially charged with careless driving causing death, but the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) accepted a guilty plea to the summary offence on the basis that the Keane family could provide victim impact evidence.
The maximum penalty for careless driving is a fine of up to €5,000. The court also has the power to impose a disqualification or five penalty points.
Ennis, of Templeton, Fethard-on-Sea, Co. Wexford, was on Tuesday disqualified from driving for three months and fined €2,000.
Imposing sentence, Judge Pauline Codd extended the court's condolences to the Keane family, noting that Mr Keane was “obviously very loved and good”. She also highlighted their deep loss and grief, and compassion towards the defendant.
Judge Codd noted the DPP had accepted a plea to a summary charge, but said the case is “serious” in the sense that it involved a young man's death.
She said Ennis's culpability arose from not seeing the motorbike, but was reduced by factors including the road's gradient and that sadly, the motorbike was travelling at high speed.
While Ennis was not “wholly to blame” for the collision, he didn't “pay sufficient attention as he didn't see the motorcycle approaching”, the judge said.
She added that the court couldn't ignore the “very serious” consequences of a “momentary lapse” and that there had to be general deterrence because attention must be paid to one's driving and the behaviour of other road users.
Judge Codd noted the Keane family's “forgiving attitude” and in the circumstances, the court would adopt “a merciful attitude”.
Both men separately worked at the Northwest Business Park and were individually on their way home.
