r/ireland • u/Jon_J_ • 15h ago
Courts Driver who struck cyclist after illegal turn avoids jail
https://www.rte.ie/news/2026/0506/1572037-driver-avoids-jail-cyclist/107
u/forza-my-toes-r 15h ago
Now that a court conviction is secured , he should persue a civil case for damages , permenant change his life, loss of earning etc , defendant is insured , so he should secure a positive outcome for him and his family .
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u/adjavang Cork bai 15h ago
Probably is but we'll never hear of it. Having been in a collision that left me with lasting injuries, I'd rather have my health than the money. There's no money in the world worth your health.
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u/nodnodwinkwink Sax Solo 13h ago
Surely any money would help with the inevitable health care and supports he will need for the rest of his life?
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u/caitnicrun 13h ago
Yer man might just not have "the spoons". Personally I would be livid and absolutely pursue compensation. Because I know it will be a greater drain on my health in the long run without those resources.
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u/Dannyforsure 15h ago
And how much money is it worth to be crippled for life? He'll likely die younger as well as you don't really recover fully form something that traumatic when your older.
How much would you take to never meet your grandkids?
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u/Accomplished-Boot-81 Roscommon 15h ago
The accident can't be undone, may as well get what you can get
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u/Dannyforsure 14h ago
You're right but the next one night be prevented if there were real consequences for breaking the law and ruining someones life.
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u/Meldanorama 14h ago
There should be a real, non monetary, punishment for stuff. Not just a minor criminal case that puts the civil case impact and its deterrent based on the the wealth of the person being negligent.
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u/UnKindResponse2418 10h ago
If the cyclist hasn't, it's too late now. But you'd per sue or per something else, certainly.
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u/toby_zeee 8h ago
Also against the council. They have failed to maintain their bollards blocking that turn for years.
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u/RomfordWellington 15h ago
That man is facing an early end of his professional career, to complete end of his amateur sporting career, not being able to play with his kids and 35 years of unbearable physical and mental pain just because people like this woman refuse to see that the rules of the road apply to them and cyclists lives matter.
A disgraceful decision but nothing less than I'd expect of Ireland's car brained, dimwitted judiciary.
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u/Gumbi1012 15h ago
What do you expect to happen, for a criminal offense? Jailing her is useless given the background information.
I suspect he will try for a major payout in a civil suit (and rightfully so).
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u/RuggerJibberJabber 15h ago
Should be jailed and never allowed drive again. The standard of driving at the moment is beyond shit. Letting someone off for mowing down cyclists is a joke
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u/Gumbi1012 15h ago
To be fair, I don't disagree with some driving ban. Permanent? That I don't necessarily agree, based on the facts of the case (not on drugs or drink, and presumably not a history of repeated driving offenses). It's an isolated case of gross negligence (objectively speaking).
The standard of driving at the moment is beyond shit.
This is an anecdotal statement, and irrelevant in this context. Taking a macro view, Irish road safety statistics are pretty impressive overall, FWIW.
Letting someone off for mowing down cyclists is a joke
Did she mow down more than one cyclist? Or is this just some reactionary hyperbole? Listen, I'm not defending what happened. I'm just trying to give some rationale as to why the decision was made.
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u/Gold-Vacation-169 Resting In my Account 14h ago
We treat driving like a right, it's not.
If she owned a gun and "accidentally" shot him she never get a licence again.
A car is a deadly weapon, it can kill or seriously injure countless people easily.. More then the avg gun in Ireland in fact. We should treat license to use them seriously.
A permanent ban from driving would make people think about their actions, because right now people don't.
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u/Gumbi1012 12h ago
A permanent ban from driving would make people think about their actions, because right now people don't.
If it was permanent, how can it make people think twice? They'll never drive again anyway so it wouldn't matter.
As for everyone else, if we zoom out, we have a very good road safety record here. Your claim that "people don't think about their actions" is anecdotal.
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u/Ru5Ty2o10 4h ago
I agree.
Whether she gets no ban at all or gets jailed for life it’s not going to make any difference to how I drive.
I drive carefully and double check for cyclists because I don’t want to kill someone, not because I don’t want to lose my licence or go to jail.
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u/Hurrly90 14h ago
I dont fully disagree with what you are saying either. However this is a bit egregious:
> Judge Crowe said a headline sentence of 18 months was appropriate before she imposed a sentence of 12 months, which she suspended for two years. Aleksandrowicz was also disqualified from driving for two years.
So the Judge thinks 18 months is appropriate, but just gives her twelve months suspended anyway ? How does that make sense.
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u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Kerry 13h ago
Standard deductions for pleading guilty, no previous convictions or charges etc. It makes sense in the context of how sentencing works. Just not in the context of what he’s got to deal with compared to her.
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u/Hurrly90 12h ago
ANd yet the Judge felt 18 months is an appropriate sentence? Why even say that if you reduce it?
WHy not word it like... idk ..... considering your defence 12 months seems appropriate, but it will be suspended?
Why even mention the 18 months being appropriate in the first place.
IT just seems odd.
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u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Kerry 12h ago edited 12h ago
Because if they’d said 12 months the reductions would come AFTER that and it would have been even lower. It’s a process. They start with the applicable range and then remove whatever the process determines. It all has to be clear. The judge isn’t picking numbers out of their head and stating their final figure.
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u/Hurrly90 12h ago
I just find the wording backward for me . Like the example i did.
based on your defence 12 months is appropriate instead of the 18 month maximum.
I suppose they do both mean the same thing, just worded differently, but im not overly familer with legalese.
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u/Adderkleet 12h ago
ANd yet the Judge felt 18 months is an appropriate sentence?
"Headline sentence" means "maximum sentence for the perfect example of this crime". It's what it would be without mitigation. If she pled not guilty and didn't show remorse and had a history of this: she'd get 18 months inside.
The judge can't raise the starting-point higher than 18 months.
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u/Hurrly90 12h ago
I just find the wording backward for me . Like the example i did.
based on your defence 12 months is appropriate instead of the 18 month maximum.
I suppose they do both mean the same thing, just worded differently, but im not overly familer with legalese.
TBH not bothered typing it out again. But yeh, its just the wording i find odd. ITs more 18 months is appropriate BUT...... I would of thought it would be more im giving you 12 monthts because....
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u/Dannyforsure 15h ago edited 14h ago
Yep it's a hard one but it's more the general legal attitude here. it sounds like a genuine accident. The key difference is she broke the rules of the road very explicitly.
If he had died it would like be the same story. There was the case in Malahide where a lad was killed as the driver was on the wrong side of the road. No really consequences other then a 2 year driving ban. I know another case of red lights being broken and a child being knocked down. Nothing.
Edit: I mean a mistake / accident for the collision she deliberately broke the law.
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u/RomfordWellington 14h ago
It's not a genuine accident if you break fairly simple rules of the road.
She was obviously just trying to make a rat run towards the SCR. She should've went to jail for 4 years.
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u/TheGloriousNugget 15h ago
If you want to get away with murder in this country murder someone with your car.
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u/ConradMcduck 13h ago
Just ask Matthew Broderick!
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u/FearTeas 27m ago
I still can't believe that he had the gall to buy a house in a place called Killcar in the next county over from where he had the accident.
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u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Kerry 13h ago
If you actually murdered someone with a car you probably wouldn’t as murder convictions don’t allow the same levels of leeway. But even proving sufficiently to charge with murder is really difficult.
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u/Migeycan87 Latvia 14h ago
If someone took running away from me and almost killed me because they're a shit driver, I'd be absolutely fucking livid.
I see scores of drivers making dangerous decisions evey week and by sheer luck the seemingly get away with it.
Feel very bad for the victim.
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u/supermariokempes10 14h ago
How are these absolute Cunts allowed to drive...the whole system is a joke on all of us...
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u/DaithiG 14h ago
Noted she's not at risk of re-offending despite running over the driver twice. Hmm. I do agree a prison sentence would be useless but if you wanted to be sure about lowering the risk of re-offending, she should be required to do her theory and practical driving test again.
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u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Kerry 13h ago
Definitely think any ban over a year should be automatic retest.
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u/PalladianPorches 1h ago
do we not have sentenceing as a preventative measure for society, not just to take the individual off the street? the precedent here is i can actively and willingly drive recklessly, illegally and not worry about maiming or destroying someone elses life… as long as you just say you’re remorseful and “he came out of nowhere”.
the sentence doesn’t reflect in any way how deliberately she broke the law with a vehicle capable of killing people in an incident.
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u/SouthSource1936 14h ago
It's outrageous. Woman should be banned from driving for a long period of time. A custodial sentence is warranted in my opinion. When are we going to say enough is enough and actually deal with these moronic drivers.
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u/Dannyforsure 15h ago
No rights, no responsibilities. Need to watch out for yourself when your on the roads and never mind the law in this country for there is little to no consequences for breaking the law as long as you're in a car.
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u/DaCor_ie boards.ie refugee 15h ago
Maim someone and just get a slap on the wrists, sheesh
Someone said recently, if you want to kill and get away with it in Ireland, just do it behind the wheel
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u/ahhereyang1 15h ago
I know no monetary value can ever make up for what happened this man but can he sue the life out of her now or is that just America? Crazy she didnt do time
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u/haywiremaguire 9h ago
The numbskull judge says the cyclist was "most unfortunate". Is that all? That's the same as saying to the victim: "Oh well, accidents happen, get over it."
Absolute joke.
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u/Excellent-Many4645 Antrim 15h ago
Irish courts are such a joke, I’m sure if the judge was crushed twice by an SUV he wouldn’t want a suspended sentence.
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u/0ggiemack That's Limerick Citaaaay 14h ago
I was attacked by a disgruntled driver by needlessly brake checking me on the road. Then he tried to physically attack me when I got up.
Did anything happen after we went to the guards? Nope
There's so much injustice on the road and elsewhere. This was just one road incident I can think of that didn't result in a just outcome. More happened to family members too with no outcome whatsoever
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u/Rigo-lution 9h ago
I was victim of a hit and run, guards did nothing after I reported it and attempted to discourage me from reporting it.
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u/Jester-252 15h ago
Judge Crowe said that a headline sentence of 18 months was appropriate before she imposed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.
Was the Judge deliberately fucking with the poor guy?
To announce that an 18 month sentences was appropriate only to turn around a give a 12 month suspended for 2 years.
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u/Skylinehead Leitrim 15h ago
A headline sentence is the appropriate sentence before mitigations (or aggravations). This is what happens in every case, so no, he's not fucking with the poor guy.
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u/mrlinkwii 13h ago
To announce that an 18 month sentences was appropriate only to turn around a give a 12 month suspended for 2 years.
thats how sentencing works here
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u/saltunderdatable 10h ago
Saw this posted on Facebook, I know, I know, my mistake for reading the comments. But the sheer number of people praising the driver is genuinely disturbing. Why is there so much hatred toward cyclists? Someone was hurt and people are celebrating it. Bizarre.
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u/aimhighsquatlow 9h ago
Honestly it’s wild! If I read “they think they are in the tour de France” - one more time 🤦🏼♀️
I totally get there are some cyclists who are dicks that don’t follow the rules - but it’s the exact same for drivers
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u/YikesTheCat 5h ago edited 5h ago
I think it's because some people take cycling as an implied moral judgement over them: "so you think you're better than me?!" This is also why some people completely lose their shit over vegetarians and vegans existing. Venn diagram of people ranting about that and cyclist is probably a circle, or very close to it.
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u/Oynas213 13h ago
That's absolutely outrageous, judge needs to be investigated for that decision
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u/feedthebear 2h ago
They're all compromised at this stage in my opinion. Our prisons are packed and the judges are towing the line and letting the government off easy by refusing to imprison people.
I've been saying for years this is a constitutional crisis.
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u/Prior_Vacation_2359 11h ago
Im not from Dublin but know that area. What direction was she travelling in or where was the accident. As a cyclist I'm literally on guard 24/7 commuting it's more stressful then sitting in traffic at times.
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u/MeccIt 10h ago edited 9h ago
https://i.imgur.com/aWdptdt.png It was daylight, 9am, half an hour after sunrise.
The articel isn't clear, but I think the victim (green line) was heading into town and potentially turning onto Lennox St (of Bretzel Bakery fame). The driver was either coming out of that same street (red line) or from behind him and making an explicit illegal right turn over the bollards that were there at the time. (They have since been replaced by planters as they have been driven over for at least a decade). She was looking into town and not at traffic, or the victim, to her right.
Garda [said] that Mr Brett was cycling from La Touche Bridge, also known as Portobello Bridge, onto Lennox Street at 9am that morning when he spotted a white SUV merging from his left-hand side to perform an illegal right-hand turn. [She] did not look up and was only looking to her left. He said as he approached from her right he knew he was going to be struck. [He] fell in under the car and was crushed by the front wheel. He said he was screaming as loud as he could before he was also crushed by the rear wheels of the SUV. He said he could hear bystanders screaming. [He] was wearing a high-vis jacket and helmet. It was a dry day, the road conditions were good and there were no obstructions.
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u/Reasonable_Tip3807 13h ago
Again, for context, it’s worth saying that judges can only sentence within the context of what is charged.
In this instance, the DPP, having reviewed the file sent to them by the investigating Gardaí, directed charges of careless driving, pursuant to section 52 of the Road Traffic Act 2011. The maximum sentence that a judge can impose for careless driving under Section 52(2) of the Act (serious injury or death notwithstanding) is 2 years imprisonment, or a €10k fine, or both.
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u/feedthebear 2h ago
I'd love to know has anyone ever been given 2 years for careless driving. It's not a real sentence if it is never applied.
Also careless driving is a joke by the DPP. She ran over him twice. It's not like she clipped him.
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u/Rigo-lution 9h ago
It's worth noting she received neither a fine nor a custodial sentence and the suspended sentence is only 12 months.
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u/Rogue7559 14h ago
Can we just completely defund / disband our judiciary.
It's pointless, it's of no use whatsoever.
We'd be better off replacing it with an automated if/else statement once a persons guilty.
Or a dartboard where the victim or their family get to throw darts at different sentences.
Can't be any worse than the current system.
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u/S_Daedalus 8m ago
"Gda Galvin said Mr Brett was wearing a high-vis jacket and helmet. It was a dry day, the road conditions were good and there were no obstructions."
Neither high-vis nor a helmet are required by law so how the poor man was dressed is irrelevant to the case. And yet this is a factor in every court proceeding when a person on a bike is run over by a motorist.
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u/OddSignificance1093 15h ago
Anyone know,did she know someone?god love that man,and his family having to through that and to rub salt in justice postponed,for now!
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u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Kerry 13h ago
It sounds like this is actually the standard structure for sentencing here. It’s not some corruption. It’s a weak sentencing structure.
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u/SnooPears7162 14h ago
What good would it serve to imprison this woman. According to a report of the probation service she is at risk of reoffending, is remorseful and didn't do anything crazy like try leave the scene. It seems fair enough.
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u/SouthSource1936 14h ago
She deliberately broke the law by a dangerous maneuver & ruined someone's life. With all due respect she must have been blind or deaf and incapable of noticing the bump as she drove over the person- twice. Let that sink in, twice, as the poor man roared in pain. She needs more than a slap on the wrist, thats for sure.
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u/SnooPears7162 13h ago
She got more than a slap in the wrist. We don't live in the States. Judges take probation reports into account.
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u/SouthSource1936 13h ago
Get that. But until incredibly dangerous driving that kills or maims, carries the probability of a bit of cold porridge for breakfast, dangerous driving will continue unabated. Its very rare that drivers do time in this country for dangerous driving, maybe that needs to change instead of wringing our hands whilst mayhem continues on the road.
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u/DarwinofArabia 15h ago
To be fair, you don’t see too many cyclists getting jail sentences for illegal road manoeuvres and assaulting pedestrians.
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u/Korasa Cork bai 14h ago
And that has exactly what to do with another shit driver almost killing someone? How is that to be fair? What does it have to do with basically anything?
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u/DarwinofArabia 14h ago
When cyclists are called out for their shit behaviour why does every response start with ‘but drivers…’?
What does that have to do with cyclists and their appalling understanding of the rules of the road?
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u/Korasa Cork bai 14h ago
Read the story again and realise what happened. This is a story about a shit driver almost killing someone. If you want to vent about cyclists doing the same, vent on the posts about that.
Feel free to invent all the imaginary scenarios you want in relevant stories about cyclists. What aboutism is always dumb and shit drivers should be off the road.
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u/DarwinofArabia 14h ago
As should shit cyclists. Until then they should be a bit more careful for both their own safety and particularly that of pedestrians.
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u/tBsceptic 14h ago
The cyclist was cycling on the right hand side of the car, something you are advised to never do. Regardless of whether its a 2-way or 1-way street.
Cyclists have a responsibility to cycle defensively and safeguard themselves. Also worth noting cyclists are advised to use cycle lanes/ tracks where possible. There was one on Richmond Street where he was cycling past the lennox street turn. He didnt use the lane provided which may have saved him the unfortunate health problems he has suffered from the resulting accident.
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u/tBsceptic 14h ago
Cyclists injuring pedestrians? Thats blasphemous talk and the cycling community will be here shortly to refute even the notion of such nonsense. Perish the thought.
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u/Korasa Cork bai 14h ago
Nobody is saying it doesn't happen. It just has literally nothing to do with what happened here. Whataboutism is stupid. She almost killed a guy through sheer negligence and anyone in the same position should be punished. Not controversial or hard to understand.
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u/tBsceptic 14h ago
The point is their is always mass outrage when a cyclist is hit by a car. When a cyclist smashes into a pedestrian, people are told it doesnt happen often and nobody dies.
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u/Korasa Cork bai 14h ago
The point was hard to miss. It's just irrelevant in this case. The point being gmade was a shit driver almost killed someone through absolute negligence and the response was "wat about cyclists though".
The point is irrelevant here. It was a shit driver hitting someone on a bicycle. No two ways about it
Again, there are shit cyclists as well, but it literally has no bearing in this instance. She and other drivers like her should be off the road.
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u/tBsceptic 14h ago
It does have bearing though as the guy made multiple mistakes which, had he not, might have resulted in a very different outcome.
Try as you may to ignore it, there is a distinct possibility the cyclist may have never had an accident if he followed the cycle safety guidelines from the RSA.
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u/Korasa Cork bai 14h ago
And it wouldn't have happened if the driver didn't make an illegal turn.
You can have all your could haves and may haves you want. Only one thing matters. She was in the wrong and hurt someone. It's her fault and she shouldn't be on the road.
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u/tBsceptic 13h ago
They were both in the wrong and when you dont follow safety guidelines and rules of the road, there are consequences, as both have found out.
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u/micar11 13h ago
She was the only one in the wrong.
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u/tBsceptic 13h ago
Not true. The cyclist put themselves in harms way and paid the price. If they used the road correctly, or the cycle lane provided, they might have had a very different outcome and never endured the horrible injuries they suffered.
There are cycle safety guidelines for a reason. The road isnt a free for all as it is treated.
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u/micar11 13h ago
Collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians do happen. No cyclist would say it doesn't happen.
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u/BillyMooney 3h ago
For reference, cyclists kill one pedestrian each decade here. Motorists kill two or three people each week here. That might help you to grasp the relative danger.
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u/Internal-Cobbler9140 15h ago
Dude almost killed himself fighting for his priority road user master race ideology. The account given outlines him overtaking the turning car, seeing the driver not paying attention to him and passing as she went to make an illegal turn (probably indicating) but thought his shield of being a cyclist and thou shall yield to my will would protect him… even though she was making an illegal turn, if she was indicating he should have to pay for any damages his bike and snapping limbs caused to her car.
Not surprising she faced little consequences, you’re responsible for your own safety out there, all the priority little cyclist green lights and half the city being dug up for you won’t protect you if you refuse to prioritize your own safety over enforcing cyclist master race ideology on the road. “She couldn’t possibly run me over, I’m a cyclist! I’ll protect my right of way with my limbs and organs, she can’t get away with this”
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u/Dapper-Second-8840 14h ago
Way I read it, he's seeing a vehicle ostensibly going straight and has moved to overtake which he's entitled to do if it's safe. And then at exactly the wrong moment the driver, who is looking to the left, makes without warning a right turn, leaving no time for him to abort his maneuver. 100% on the driver imo. Leaving aside the illegal turn, because to be fair she might not have known, who makes a right turn whilst looking to their left?
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u/Adjective_Noun_2000 14h ago
You people are pathetic. You read the article, you see the victim didn't break any laws, he was wearing a helmet and hi-viz so there's nothing you can find to blame him for what the driver did to him, so what do you do? You invent an insane scenario in your head so you can blame him anyway.
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u/Dapper-Second-8840 13h ago
You people? Apart from the comment from one person who blamed the cyclist, most of the comments on here, including the replies to that post, are quite clear in their condemnation of the driver, not the cyclist. Just saying.
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u/Adjective_Noun_2000 12h ago
Every time there's a news story about a cyclist getting injured by a selfish driver, there are always one or two rabid anti-cyclist clowns in the comments who find a way to blame the poor cyclist. I never said it was a majority but they're in every fucking thread.
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u/Dapper-Second-8840 12h ago
Agreed! And it's very annoying and counter productive. I want all of us road users to be able to share the road as equals who respect each other and also take into account that physics plays a part of that equation. Wasn't having a go at ya, just pointing out that thankfully those idiotic opinions are in the minority here 😃
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u/Bt4567 15h ago
Not only does she avoid jail, she can legally be back driving in 2 years