Cork man speeding because his uncle had just died has charge dismissed

A man has had a speeding charge struck out, after a judge heard he had been driving to find a mobile phone signal, so he could tell his father of the sudden death of his brother.

Ryan O’Keeffe had been caught driving at 82kmph in a 60kmph zone, near Castletownbere, and had failed to pay the required fixed-charge notice, over fears that an accumulation of penalty points could put him off the road.

The self-employed painter and decorator told Judge James McNulty, at Bantry District Court, that on the morning of the speeding detection, he had just learned that his uncle had died.

The detection occurred at 10.57am on July 25, 2023, at Derrymihan West, near Castletownbere. Mr O’Keeffe said he was working on a job and there was no signal. He said he learned that his uncle had had a heart attack and that he had passed away that morning.

Mr O’Keeffe said his parents were in Spain at the time.

“I was trying to get down to town for a signal to tell my father that his brother was after passing away,” Mr O’Keeffe told the judge.

Judge McNulty said that the defendant had received “extremely bad news” on the day in question and that the level of speed was “not the gravest road-traffic offence”.

“I think it would be unjust to convict, given the exceptional circumstances,” he said, striking out the charge.

Mr O’Keeffe, a father of three from Julie Villa, Dublin Pike, White’s Pike, in Cork, offered to make a charitable donation, but the judge said it was not necessary.