Teenager faces 12 charges in relation to M8 crash in Cork that killed 16-year-old

The court heard that the car was allegedly being driven the wrong way on the motorway

Detective Garda John Murphy of Fermoy Garda Station told Mallow District Court on Wednesday that he had arrested, charged, and cautioned the youth in Oberstown, Co. Dublin, that morning. File picture: Dan Linehan

A boy has appeared in court charged with a range of driving offences relating to a head-on collision in Cork during the summer where a young person died.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with 12 offences related to the incident on the M8 motorway at Ballybeg near Mitchelstown in the early hours of Saturday morning on July 1 this year.

Johnny Foley (16) from Togher in Cork, who was killed in the incident, had been a front-seat passenger in a car that collided with another car after allegedly been driven the wrong way on the motorway.

The driver of the car, a teenage boy, and three other passengers — a male in his late teens, his 14-year-old sister and another teenage boy — were all taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) in the aftermath of the incident where they received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

Detective Garda John Murphy of Fermoy Garda Station told Mallow District Court on Wednesday that he had arrested, charged, and cautioned the youth in Oberstown, Co. Dublin, that morning. The youth made no reply to the 12 charges put to him, Det. Gda Murphy said.

Charges

The charges include dangerous driving causing the death of John Foley and dangerous driving causing serious injury to three other named people. Dangerous driving charges also apply to incidents at Junction 12, Carrigane, and Firgrove Roundabout, Mitchelstown.

He was also charged with reckless endangerment, namely driving a car in the wrong direction of the M8 motorway at Ballybeg, Mitchelstown, forcing this traffic to take emergency evasive action which caused a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

Other charges include driving a car with no insurance and in a negligent manner, having no driving licence, and attempting to get into a car at Main Street, Glanworth.

Solicitor for the youth, Cathal Lombard, told Judge Colm Roberts that there was no application for bail being contemplated at this time.

Sgt Linda Murphy made an application for the facts of the case to be heard at Mallow District Court next Tuesday, November 14, with the 17-year-old appearing by video link. Judge Roberts will then decide on the next course of action after hearing the facts.

Judge Roberts asked the youth if he was “going well at the moment”, to which the youth replied that he is. Legal aid was granted and the youth was remanded in custody until next Tuesday.