Dangerous driving trial enters closing stages

The trial of a Donegal man accused of killing his friend and seriously injuring another motorist in a dangerous driving incident in Co Louth has reached its concluding stages.

Oliver Shovelin (aged 32) of Clondallon, Rathmullen, County Donegal has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of his passenger, Mr John Sheridan, and also causing bodily harm to Ms Deirdre O'Brien at Cookstown, Ardee on July 11, 2004.

The jury of will retire tomorrow morning to consider its verdict following a two-day trial in which three witnesses said they thought Mr Shovelin might have been asleep as he drove down the wrong side of the road and collided with Ms O'Brien.

Defence counsel, Mr David Goldberg SC, asked the eight men and four women of the jury to consider the possibility that Mr Shovelin might have fallen asleep with no prior warning before the collision.