A GARDA who witnessed the death of his colleague and a fireman in a road crash, has told a court how he could "almost taste" the alcohol from the breath of a man charged in connection with the double road tragedy.
Garda Ollie O'Sullivan broke down in Limerick Circuit Court yesterday as he recalled the final moments leading up to the deaths of Garda Brian Kelleher and fireman Michael Liston. Both men were killed when struck by a car while attending the scene of a road crash near Foynes, Co Limerick on February 17th last year.
Niall Shannon, Lenamore, Ballylongford, Co Kerry has pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two men. The 20-year-old also denies driving with excess alcohol and driving with two bald tyres.
Garda O'Sullivan, who was on duty with Garda Kelleher at the scene of an earlier crash, described in court yesterday how he felt car lights coming behind him before he heard a "big loud bang" and saw a fluorescent jacket going up in the air. He looked up to find everything in front of him gone, including fireman Michael Liston and Garda Kelleher.
A breath test carried out after Mr Shannon was arrested showed a reading of 55 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.The trial continues today.