Ukrainian woman pleads guilty to careless driving causing man's death in Cork

Kseniia Vasylenko has been remanded in custody by Judge Helen Boyle for sentencing in a fortnight on April 26. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

A Ukrainian refugee in Cork accused of dangerous driving causing the death of a fellow Ukrainian man with whom she had been socialising in the city pleaded guilty on Friday to a charge of careless driving causing his death.

Prosecution barrister Donal O’Sullivan said this guilty plea by Kseniia Vasylenko was acceptable to the State. The accused woman was then remanded in custody by Judge Helen Boyle for sentencing in a fortnight on April 26.

A victim impact statement is to be prepared by the family of the deceased. Defence barrister Peter O’Flynn asked for the preparation of a governor’s report from the prison.

“She has been in custody since the time of the incident (October 2023) and doing extremely well. She is an enhanced prisoner. And I would ask for a governor’s report,” Mr O’Flynn said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The original charge in the book of evidence against Ms Vasylenko concerned the allegation that she dangerously drove a Hyundai Alantra car at Cork Airport causing the death of Andrii Nesterov, who was aged around 50, after 2am on Sunday morning, October 8, 2023. 

It was alleged that she was driving the Hyundai car owned by the deceased and that her driving was dangerous, resulting in his death.

43-year-old Kseniia Vasylenko with an address at Cork Airport Hotel has now pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving causing death.

When she initially applied for bail she said her husband was still in Ukraine working in IT and working with the resistance in this capacity. She said she had been working with the local authority in central Ukraine and was now living in Cork with her five-year-old son and her mother.

“I did not want to leave my country. I love my country. I made the decision to come here to save my life and the life of my son. I came across Poland, Romania, Moldova, to Dublin City West to here. I have been in Cork since December 2022. I have been in the airport hotel accommodation centre,” the accused said.