A man who was involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Co Meath and later used an excavator to bury his car on his parents’ farm has been spared jail.
Alex Burke (21), of Kilcock, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty earlier this year to obstruction of justice in February 2017 by deliberately damaging a car when he buried it knowing it had been involved in a collision with a pedestrian.
He also pleaded guilty to failing to assist a person injured in a road crash and driving without insurance.
Trim Circuit Court previously heard another motorist came on the body of Colin Tuite (27) of Dangan, Summerhill on the Summerhill to Rathmolyon road on February 16th, 2017, after earlier seeing a car veering on to its incorrect side of the road.
No insurance
Garda Patrick Smith had said Mr Tuite, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had been seen close to the grass verge texting on his phone a short time earlier.
The court heard Burke went to the gardaí five days later and said he had suddenly come on Mr Tuite and swerved to avoid him. He said he did not see what happened to the victim, panicked and kept going as he did not have insurance. He showed gardaí where he had buried the car.
The court had previously heard a victim impact statement from Mr Tuite’s parents, read by this brother, who said they were haunted that their son had been so loved and yet died alone. They recalled his love of music, theatre and the English language, which had led him to being a Countdown contestant.
Mr Tuite described the family’s loss as unnatural, unbearable and devastating.
On Friday, Judge Martina Baxter said Burke, who had obviously panicked, must live with the consequences for the rest of his life. She imposed a 2½-year sentence, suspended for three years and 240 hours of community service .