A nightclub owner who was alleged to have attempted to run down a local parish priest was acquitted of dangerous driving at Gorey District Court yesterday when Judge John O'Neill ruled that the priest's "provocative behaviour" had contributed to the incident.
The case was part heard in 1997, at which time Pat Lambert, of Camolin, Co Wexford, was convicted of assaulting the priest. The conviction is being appealed.
The court heard that there was a history of bad blood between Lambert and the priest, Father James Curtis. It stemmed from 1994, when Lambert's mother died. He wanted the priest to perform the obsequies, but Father Curtis was on holiday and a curate officiated instead.
Lambert was annoyed at this and, Father Curtis alleged, launched a campaign of harassment against him. The priest told the court that on June 14th, 1995, he was cycling down the street to get a newspaper when he saw the defendant's van approaching a junction across the road.
He crossed and cycled behind the van, doing so, he said, to avoid confrontation with Lambert, who shouted abuse at him each time he saw him. He then crossed back and the defendant turned and drove parallel to him. Lambert called him a "dirty gangster" twice and "you so-called holy man".
Lambert denied swerving towards the priest and trying to run him down. He said he saw the priest coming towards him that day and then he went out of his line of vision. The next thing he heard was a thump on his vehicle.
The priest denied bad-mouthing Lambert from the altar but admitted that he had mentioned his concern that his curate had been downgraded in his absence. He knew that the defendant had written letters of complaint about him to the bishop.
Judge O'Neill said there was a history between the two men, but he agreed with the defence that it would be unsafe to convict "because of Father Curtis's provocative behaviour on this occasion".