A garda accused of causing a crash which claimed the life of a young motorcyclist in Co Meath almost four years ago has been acquitted at Trim Circuit Court.
Garda Trevor Owens (31) of Kells Garda station had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Gary Tully at Commons of Lloyd on the Cavan-Kells road (N3), near Kells on August 16th, 2008. Mr Tully (21), Silverlawns, Navan, was catapulted into the air in the crash and died later in hospital.
Garda Owens told the Garda Ombudsman Commission he went to set up a checkpoint after receiving reports of a speeding motorcycle heading for Kells.
He said he saw a motorbike approach at speed, that his car was on a collision course with it, that he braked and steered to the right but the vehicles collided.
Two prosecution witnesses disagreed over the cause of the collision. After two weeks of evidence the defence requested Judge Margaret Heneghan to direct a not guilty verdict. After legal argument the judge granted the request, ruling there had been a conflict in evidence given by some prosecution witnesses which a jury could not resolve.