Dublin
A motorcyclist has been given a suspended sentence for leaving a pedestrian severely brain damaged after a judge noted “we all make mistakes”.
Lukas Krycia (29), Summerville Green, Walkinstown, and a native of Poland, was going over the speed limit and travelling in the cycle lane when he hit mother-of-two, Anne Marie Campbell as she was crossing the road.
Ms Campbell (40) was left severely brain damaged and is now unable to live independently. She can no longer work in her previous role as a home carer and is unable to care for her children without supervision.
Judge Martin Nolan noted the “incredibly serious injuries” Ms Campbell suffered and said that Krycia acted in a “grossly reckless” manner. However, he commented that “we all make mistakes while driving and sometimes even the best of people take chances they shouldn’t take”.
He noted Krycia’s remorse and offer of €6,000 compensation. The judge also took into account that Krycia will now lose his job as a Dublin Bus driver as his offence automatically carries a four-year driving ban. He sentenced Krycia to 2½ years, suspended in full on condition that he hands over the compensation to the victim’s family.