A Ballyfermot youth who led a horse down the hard shoulder of a dual carriageway, causing a traffic pile-up that resulted in the death of a truck driver, has been given an 18-months suspended sentence.
Jonathan Gore (17), of Ballyfermot Road, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence on the Chapelizod dual carriageway on November 5th, 1997. Garda Sgt Denis Smith said when gardai arrived, two articulated trucks were spread across three lanes of the carriageway.
A double-decker bus, a car and a pick-up truck were also damaged on the side of the road. A passenger in a pick-up truck died as a result of the accident and several people suffered severe injuries.
Sgt Smith told Mr Padraig O'Dwyer, prosecuting, that Gore, then aged 15, went to collect the horse after he was alerted by a friend that it was in a corral near the carriageway. Gore fastened a bridle to it then led it from an embankment to the hard shoulder of the dual carriageway when the accident occurred.
Sgt Smith said two articulated lorries were travelling round the bend in convoy and as the first driver noticed Gore and the horse he "moved out". The second driver reacted by braking, which locked his wheels, causing him to jack-knife. Gore left the scene in a panic after a driver had threatened him. A few hours later he admitted his involvement to gardai.
Sgt Smith said that at the time, Gore was employed with horses and he had a very responsible attitude. He said it would have been difficult for gardai to discover who was involved with the horse unless he had admitted it.
Mr Hugh O'Keeffe, defending, said the incident did not occur on a motorway and it was not an offence to lead a horse behind a barrier on a hard shoulder of a dual carriageway.
He argued that the conduct of the traffic had to be taken into consideration. He said Gore had been involved with horses since a young age and was "shocked to the core" over what happened. He currently works with a horse project at Ballyfermot and is involved with training people about horses.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne said she realised Gore thought he was doing a service leading the horse away from the carriageway. She had to consider whether it would serve any useful purpose to society to impose a custodial sentence and decided it would not.
Gore was ordered to undertake a three-year good behaviour bond.