The charity of “an incredibly decent family” was praised as a motorist was put off the road arising out of a crash which claimed the life of their father.

In an emotional scene on the steps of a court house yesterday, the daughter of a patient who died when he was hit by a car after he left a hospital to go to a nearby take-away, embraced the driver involved in the accident.

The former Dublin City and County Assistant Manager, Mr George Redmond, told gardaí he got a cheque for Ir£5,000 "out of the blue" from car salesman Brendan Fassnidge in 1988.