A 25-YEAR-old man has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of a Limerick teenager almost two years ago.
Gearóid Cleary, from Ballinacurra Gardens in Limerick, had denied the charge arising out of a fatal road crash on the Ballysimon Road in Limerick on September 9th, 2006, in which 19-year-old Emma Woodland was killed. After less than an hour of deliberations at Limerick Circuit Court yesterday a jury of six men and six women returned with a guilty verdict.
During the trial it was the State’s case that although Latvian national Roman Andreas had already pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Ms Woodland, this did not exonerate Gearoid Cleary, who, it claimed, was also driving too fast on the night of the fatal accident.
The court heard that Mr Cleary’s Honda Integra crashed into a Toyota Starlet after it was rear-ended by a BMW being driven by Mr Andreas.
Ms Woodland, was a back-seat passenger in the Starlet and died from head injuries she received in the collision.
In his closing speech, defence counsel Anthony Salmon insisted that his client, Gearoid Cleary, was not responsible for the teenager’s death and said his car had been rear-ended by a BMW being driven by Mr Adreas who was driving too fast and who was also twice the legal alcohol limit.
Counsel for the prosecution, John O‘Sullivan, argued that after the collision with the Starlet Mr Cleary’s Honda continued on for some 40ft before colliding with a wall, and that this was indicative of the high speed at which the defendant must have been travelling.
Judge Moran remanded Mr Cleary in custody to appear before the court again on July 25th next for sentencing.
Roman Andreas is also due to be sentenced on the same day.