Fatal Paudie Palmer car crash trial going into fifth day

THE trial of a Ukrainian motorist who denies dangerous driving causing the death of GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer will go in to its fifth day of evidence tomorrow.

Bohdan Bezverkhyi, aged 33, of Rigsdale House, Rigsdale, Ballinhassig, Co Cork, denies the charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork, on December 29, 2022.

The case is proceeding before Judge Jonathan Dunphy and the jury of seven women and five men at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Prosecution barrister Brendan Kelly said the case was that the accused approached the junction and had a ‘stop’ line and ‘stop’ sign against him and that a motorist coming on to the junction from this road would have had an unrestricted, 150m view of traffic coming from the direction of Mr Palmer.

Defence senior counsel Seamus Roche referred to Mr Palmer not wearing a seatbelt: “I don’t wish to be unfair to the man, but that is a factor of the case. He was not driving in a safe manner, for whatever reason, and was, in fact, on his incorrect side of the road: That is the nub of the defence. He (Bohdan Bezverkhyi) was trying to negotiate the cross as safely as he could.”