A MEMBER of An Garda Siochana, based at Henry Street, and who was the driver of a car involved in a road accident whch resulted in the deaths of two men, was fined a total of €900 at Limerick District Court for a number of road traffic offences that emerged from the incident. 34-year-old Garda Enda Clifford, of Miltown, Kerry, pleaded guilty to the offences that arose from a Garda Ombudsman investigation following the crash on January 12, 2011.
Garda Clifford was driving his car outbound from the city on the M20 motorway towards Adare when he encountered two men in the middle of the road. The car struck the men who were involved in a struggle on the ground and both died instantly. Garda Clifford was not prosecuted for the manner in which he was driving, and that had been accepted by the State.
Prosecuting for the State following the file being sent from the Garda Ombudsman to the DPP, Michael Murray, solicitor, said that both men were “on the ground in the middle of the motorway,” but the “State accepted there was no complaint as to the manner in which the accused was driving, and this was never in question”.
23-year-old Mark Farrell, and 20-year-old Gavin O’Callaghan, both from Cork, died instantly.
It was revealed that Garda Clifford was driving the car without a valid driving licence, no tax and no tax displayed and two bald tyres – one of which was “excessively bald,” where it was “worn to the extent that the plier cord was exposed”.
The Director of Public Prosecutions brought the charges on foot of the investigation, and Garda Clifford was charged with seven breaches of the road traffic legislation.
The Garda Ombudsman was represented in court with a legal team and members of the investigation unit.
Garda Clifford was charged with driving without a driving licence, failure to produce the licence, driving without motor tax and failure to produce tax, and two charges of having bald tyres. A seventh charge relating to a bald tyre was withdrawn by the State, and subsequently struck out by the court.
Dan O’Gorman, solicitor, represented Garda Clifford, and told the court that his client was of “impeccable good character and had no previous convictions”.
He added that Mr Clifford was an “upstanding member of the community,” and that he apologised to the court for the charges brought against him.
Judge Timothy Lucy said that the matter arose from a “tragic set of circumstances,” but that they came before the court and were to be treated in the normal manner.
Garda Clifford was fined €200 for driving with no licence, €200 for driving without tax and €250 for each bald tyre.
The charges of failing to produce his licence and failing to display a valid tax disc, were taken into consideration.
