A man who drove a scrambler motorcycle down a footpath and struck a pedestrian has been jailed for two years.
Shane Ward (24) and his motorcycle ended up in a canal after striking a foreign student who sustained serious injuries. Ward then climbed out of the canal and fled the scene on a friend's bike.
Ward of Lissadel Drive, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious harm at Drimnagh Luas Stop on January 30th, 2020.
He also pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance and to leaving the scene of the offence at the same address on the same date. He has one previous conviction for driving with no insurance.
Garda Eanna Carney told Kieran Kelly BL, prosecuting, said that on the date in question, the injured party Radhika Lausin (28) had just alighted from the LUAS and had left the platform when she was struck from behind by the accused's motorcycle.
Gda Carney said Ward and his bike ended up in the adjacent canal after the collision, but that he climbed out and departed on a friend's bike. Ward had been driving along the footpath with two friends who were on their own scramble motorcycles.
Serious injuries
Ms Lausin sustained an injury to her head, fractures to her jaw and wrist and a soft tissue injury to her left thigh. The court heard she has had two operations since the incident.
Addressing the court through a translator, Ms Lausin said she remembered waking up in a hospital and not being able to remember her own name or address. She said is now scared of leaving the house and scared of crossing the road.
Gda Carney told Kevin White BL, defending, that before the collision his client had brushed against another pedestrian on the footpath, broke hard and lost control of his bike, causing him to veer right towards the victim.
Ashamed
Mr White said his client was ashamed of his actions and ashamed of not staying at the scene. He said his client's first thought was for himself when it should have been for the victim.
Counsel said his client had raised €10,000 as a token of remorse, which the victim had indicated she was willing to accept. He said his client was willing to sell his car in order to raise more funds.
Judge Martin Nolan said dangerous driving can occur by mere inattention and the courts generally take a sympathetic view in those situations. He said courts typically punish intentional or reckless behaviour and in this case there is reckless and intentional bad driving.
Judge Nolan said Ward decided to drive his scrambler down a footpath and drove at speed, both of which were reckless things to do. He said he drove in such a way that he could not avoid hitting a pedestrian and then left the scene.
He sentenced Ward to two years imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for six years.
