3 days ago
OAP spent 73 days in hospital after being hit by jack-knifed horse trailer
James Farrell, 62, appeared in court to face a charge of careless driving causing serious bodily harm along a section of the main N55.
A collision involving what Judge Owens described as two "long based jeep type vehicles", one of which was driven by James Farrell left an old age pensioner with broken ribs, a punctured lung fractured pelvis vertebrae in his back alongside a multitude of other injuries, a court has heard.
James Farrell (62) had been intending to plead guilty to a charge of careless driving causing serious bodily harm before Judge Bernadette Owens deemed the case to be too serious to be heard in the District Court.
An old age pensioner was forced to spend almost three months in hospital and left with multiple broken bones when he was 'propelled into a ditch' by a vehicle that collided with a towed horse trailer along a busy national carriageway in the midlands.
The elderly man, aged in his 80s, was left with several broken ribs, a punctured lung and fractured pelvis together with breaks to his left leg and shoulder, a dislocated right shoulder and fractured vertebrae in his back as a result of a collision which occurred at Cranalagh More, Edgeworthstown, Longford on August 18, 2024.
Sixty-two-year-old James Farrell, with an address at Cranley Beg, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford appeared at a sitting of Longford District Court to face a charge of careless driving causing serious bodily harm along a section of the main N55.
James Farrell (62) had been intending to plead guilty to a charge of careless driving causing serious bodily harm before Judge Bernadette Owens deemed the case to be too serious to be heard in the District Court.
The court was told how the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed the case to be disposed of in the District Court on a guilty plea only.
Judge Bernadette Owens, in deciding jurisdiction, was informed the incident took place shortly after 8am when the pensioner exited the front passenger seat of a jeep he had been travelling in order to go to the toilet.
The accused, the court heard, had been travelling in a "long based jeep type' vehicle when it collided with the horse trailer.
Such was the force of the collision, the trailer jack-knifed and struck the elderly man who was thrown into a ditch as a result.
James Farrell outside Longford Courthouse.
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Farrell's defence solicitor Tom Madden indicated that while a guilty plea would be forthcoming, there were a certain degree of 'extenuating circumstances' at play.
They chiefly revolved around the fact the collision took place at a particularly hazardous location and occurred at a time when his client's vision had been impaired by the glare of a rising morning sun.
Having heard the State's evidence and submission made on behalf of Farrell, Judge Owens said the court had to weigh up a number of factors before deciding whether its sentencing powers were sufficient enough to dispose of the case.
A collision involving what Judge Owens described as two "long based jeep type vehicles", one of which was driven by James Farrell left an old age pensioner with broken ribs, a punctured lung fractured pelvis vertebrae in his back alongside a multitude of other injuries, a court has heard.
She said Farrell's intention to plead guilty was one such element, as was Mr Madden's contention in reference to the challenges posed by a low lying sun, the location of the collision on a 'narrowish' stretch of road and by the fact its locus was governed by the presence of a continuous white line.
More crucially, however, she said were the 'very significant injuries' that emanated from the incident and which ultimately coincided in the elderly man's hospitalisation for a total of 73 days.
On that basis, Judge Owens said the court had no option but to refuse jurisdiction.
That prompted Sgt Enda Daly to take to his feet and reveal the DPP, on foot of the court's ruling, would now be consenting for Farrell to be returned for trial to the Circuit Criminal Court for trial or for sentencing on a signed guilty plea.
Mr Madden confirmed sufficient disclosure of all State evidence in the case had been made in order to discuss those practicalities with his client.
Farrell was consequently remanded on bail to appear back at a sitting of Longford District Court on September 23.
