Bus firm owner pleads guilty over maintenance

The owner of an Offaly bus hire company has pleaded guilty to failing to maintain a school bus that was later involved in a fatal crash.

A charge that alleged the owner’s failure had caused the death of schoolboy Michael White, aged 15, has been dropped by the DPP.

The bus crashed outside Clara, Co Offaly, on Apr 4, 2006, when the back axle came away and the bus flipped. Michael died of his injuries.