Accused had texted 'I am guilty' on day of Cork GAA broadcaster's death, court told

In one text exchange with his mother, she advised him to make sure to carry a piece of soap in his pocket when presenting himself to the police

Defence senior counsel Seamus Roche said in his closing speech to the jury that Bohdan Bezverkhyi (pictured) had accepted responsibility for failing to remain at the scene and had pleaded guilty to charges related to that. Picture: Dan Linehan

The Ukrainian motorist who is on trial for the alleged dangerous driving causing the death of GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer texted a friend that day describing himself as a moron, saying: “I am in the wrong 100%, I drove off, I was drunk, there is no excuse for me, I am guilty of it all.” 

This text written in Russian by the accused man was translated for Judge Jonathan Dunphy and a jury of six women and six men by Russian translator, Liudmila Ladchenko, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, on the fifth day of the trial.

Bohdan Bezverkhyi has pleaded not guilty to the charge of dangerous driving causing Mr Palmer’s death at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork, on December 29, 2022.

The translated texts included these texts to various people from the accused man’s phone on the day of the incident:

“It is not funny to me. I will be jailed. I left the scene of a traffic accident, drunk.” 

“I got into a car accident. Advise me what to do. Advise me how to get out of the situation. I am in the wrong 100 per cent. I drove off, I was wrong, there is no excuse.

“I am a moron. I am guilty of it all. Don’t know what happened to the people. I am blaming myself for driving off."

“(When asked why he did not go to the traffic police after) Because I am not sober... I want to get some sleep and solve this question when sober."

“The second car overturned.

“Wrecked the car… Left the scene of the accident. Was pissed."

“Nevertheless, need to surrender to the garbage. I don’t see any other way out.” 

The late Paudie Palmer died on December 29, 2022.

In one exchange with his mother, she advised him to make sure to carry a piece of soap in his pocket when presenting himself to the police.

Prosecution barrister Brendan Kelly said it was the prosecution case that the accused approached the junction and had a stop line and stop sign against him and that a motorist coming on to the junction from this road would have had an unrestricted 150-metre view of traffic on the road coming from the direction of travel of the late Mr Palmer.

Defence senior counsel Seamus Roche said in his closing speech to the jury that the accused man had accepted responsibility for failing to remain at the scene and had pleaded guilty to charges related to that. 

However, he said the accused was adamant that he was not going to plead guilty to dangerous driving causing death “because he does not feel it was his responsibility”.

“He rejects the version that he was speeding down the road. There is no evidence of excessive speed. He came to the stop line, he stopped and there is no doubt it is a difficult junction.

“You have to look right first, he did that, he then moved forward a bit. He went to look left and all of a sudden the collision was upon him. That is his evidence. I urge you to accept his evidence,” Mr Roche said in his closing speech to the jury.

It is anticipated that when Judge Jonathan Dunphy concludes his address to the jury that they will commence their deliberations on April 17.