Rathcormac woman’s careless driving caused biker’s death

A Rathcormac woman returning home from a lunchtime visit to a local graveyard was responsible by her careless driving for the death of a 55-year-old motorcycle enthusiast who was out for a Sunday spin shortly before Christmas.

Sharon Healy, aged 38, of 17 Manor Hills, Rathcormac, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to the charge that she drove without due care and attention at Scartbarry, Watergrasshill, Co Cork, on December 21, 2014, thereby causing the death of Seán Coleman from Fermoy, Co Cork.

She was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and banned from driving for 10 years yesterday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Tom Creed, defending, said that she was summarily dismissed from her job as a result of pleading guilty to the offence.

“This is a very sad case and the deceased was a careful motorcyclist who, prior to Christmas, was enjoying his hobby on a clear day, doing everything right, when he was killed,” Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said.

Sergeant Liam Kelliher, who investigated the case, said Ms Healy had a 350m to 400m view of the direction from which the late Mr Coleman was travelling but she failed to see him and drove out into his path of travel.

The judge said of the late Mr Coleman: “He had some indication of what was going to happen. He tried to avoid it. He had no chance because of the driving of the accused. She never looked. She never saw.

“To keep a lookout is one of the fundamental, primary duties of a driver. She breached that duty. I would put this carelessness on her part at the higher end.”

Antoinette Johnson, sister-in-law of the deceased, said Mr Coleman always took great care with the roadworthiness of his bikes and never drove at speed.

Ms Johnson said his death could have been prevented if extra caution had been taken by Healy. On behalf of the family of the deceased, she urged drivers to take that extra minute for their journeys as it could save the life of someone else. She said the family was further upset by the fact that the defendant had not contacted them in person or in writing following the fatality.

On that point, Mr Creed said the defendant instructed him to apologise to the family of the deceased on her behalf.

“She was reluctant to have any communication because she was before the court. She did experience and does experience on a daily basis feelings of guilt. She is being treated for clinical depression,” Mr Creed said.