A 35-year-old man has been jailed for six years after he was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of father of two and GAA sports commentator, Paudie Palmer, just a few hundred metres from his home in west Cork.
Bohdan Bezverkhyi (33), originally from Berdyansk in south-eastern Ukraine but with an address at Rigsdale House, Ballinhassig, Co Cork, had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork on December 29th, 2022.
Mr Palmer (65) was seriously injured in the collision and died in Cork University Hospital on January 8th last year. He had taught for 40 years at St Brogan’s College in Bandon, and was also a columnist for The Echo newspaper and commentated on GAA for Cork radio stations.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Mr Palmer’s daughter Claire told how the lives of her mother, Colette, his sister, Emily and herself were impacted by the fatal crash, which happened shortly after her father left home to catch up with a friend.
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“Our father was the cornerstone of our family – our mentor, supporter and guiding star. His wisdom shaped who we are as adults. His death has left a void in our identities and lives. As a result of dad’s sudden and horrific departure, our family dynamics have shifted significantly,” she said.
Ms Palmer-Panagiodis told how her son, Lucas was deprived of a grandfather and how she had to postpone her wedding to her now husband, Nicolas, just months after the crash. While they had got married a number of weeks ago, the nuptials proved a sad affair as her father was not there.
“Not having your father walk you down the aisle, which is every girl’s dream, was heartbreaking. Having to place my father’s buttonhole of flowers on his grave instead of my mother pinning it to his suit was utterly distressing, on a day that should have been the happiest day in our family’s lives.”
Ms Palmer-Panagiodis’s comments were echoed by the late Mr Palmer’s brother John in a victim impact statement he delivered on behalf of himself and his brothers Denis and Richie. He said that the fact that the guilty party drove away from the scene was particularly difficult to deal with.
“There are so many upsetting aspects to this horrid moment in our life – the guilty party went through a stop sign, causing Paudie’s car to spin and collide with the embankment; admitted in text messages he was drunk, drove away from the scene of the accident and then refused to plead guilty.
“When the summer season kicked in, Paudie was on the airwaves where we would all tune in to listen to his magic commentary on big games. He had the ability to turn a bad game into a good game ... we will never hear that magic commentary again.”
Judge Jonathan Dunphy said the offence merited a headline sentence of seven and half years. He said he would suspend the final 18 months given that Bezverkhyi had no previous convictions, and it was accepted that foreign nationals found jail more difficult than locals due to the lack of family support.
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