Fire chief breaks down in witness box

A FIRE chief broke down in the witness box at Limerick Circuit Court when he recalled the moment he realised he would have to break the news of the death of a fellow firefighter and a garda to their families.

Niall Shannon, aged 21, of Lenamore, Ballylongford, Co Kerry, has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of firefighter Mike Liston, and Garda Brian Kelleher, at Borrigone, Akeaton, Co Limerick, on February 25, 2007.

The court was told at a previous trial last year that Shannon was convicted of driving with excess alcohol at the time, and the jury at that trial had failed to agree on a verdict on the dangerous driving causing death charge.

Michael Donnellan in evidence yesterday said he was station officer at Foynes fire station when they got a call-out to a road traffic accident at Borrigone.

Mr Donnellan, who has since retired, said he travelled to the scene in a blue Transit van after contacting other Foynes firefighters.

As he drove towards the scene, he saw the sky lit up in the distance with flashing blue lights.

At the scene he parked his van and put on the flashing hazard lights.

Some time later he heard a loud bang followed by commotion and mayhem, and he then saw a body on the grass margin. Further on there was another body on a stone ditch.

Realising they had casualties, he knew that in a small area, news would filter back so he felt he would have to inform the families of the two dead men.

Cross-examined by Anthony Sammon SC for the defence, Mr Donnellan insisted he had switched on the flashing lights of his van after he got to the scene of an earlier accident.

He said the entire scene was a controlled area, before the car of the accused drove into the area.

During further cross-examination, Mr Donnellan broke down again in the box and Judge Carroll Moran rose for a brief adjournment.

Mr Sammon clashed with Judge Moran, accusing him of allowing the prosecution to raise objections to questions he was putting to the witness before he had time to complete or formulate his question.

At one point Judge Moran told Mr Sammon to behave himself.

The trial before a jury of 10 men and two women continues.