A coroner who conducted an inquest into the death of a 20-year-old Co Westmeath man has accused some witnesses to the 90mph crash in which he was killed of engaging in "an exhibition of perjury on a grand scale".
A number of witnesses gave up to four different statements to investigating gardaí, and two told yesterday's inquest into the death of Rochfortbridge man Roichard Newman that, while fire brigade personnel were cutting him from the wreckage, they had cobbled together an incorrect version of what had occurred in the tragic race. They told gardaí they had just come on the scene of the crash.
Mr Newman died two days after his car hit a tree on a dangerous bend close to Mullingar Golf Club in August 2004. His girlfriend, Jennifer Butler, was seriously injured in the crash.
The race started when a group of young people met up at a lake outside Mullingar, and at least two cars raced into Mullingar.
Damien Gallagher (24), Castlelost, Rochfortbridge, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and driving without insurance at Mullingar District Court last year.
He was given a 10-month prison sentence and a 25-year driving ban.
Mr Gallagher admitted the had raced in his Honda Civic car against Mr Newman, who also drove a Honda Civic. Both cars had 1,600cc engines. He said that he was driving between 90mph and 95mph, and claimed that he took his foot off the accelerator when Mr Newman went to pass him out at a corner, before Mr Newman went into a spin and crashed into a tree.
A third witness, Damien Devine, denied he had taken part in the race, and claimed he had only come on the scene of the accident.
Coroner Wilfred Hoover laid specific claims of perjury against Mr Devine during his evidence, and repeated his claim against a number of unspecified witnesses at the end of the evidence.
Lorna Groarke, solicitor for the Newman family, objected to the statements of Mr Gallagher, his ex-girlfriend Denise Bradley, Mr Devine, his passenger John Hannon, Gerard Gorman and his ex-girlfriend Charlene Dunne.
There was evidence from a number of witnesses that Mr Devine and Mr Hannon were driving close behind the cars of Mr Newman and Mr Gallagher when the crash took place, but Mr Devine and Mr Hannon both denied this and claimed they knew nothing of any race.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.