A Co. Cork motorist who narrowly avoided hitting a group of cycling police officers head-on has avoided a conviction, after a judge ruled that the incident failed to amount to careless driving, despite the driver pleading guilty to the charge.<\/p>\n
41-year-old Denis O\u2019Callaghan, who has eight previous convictions, including one for careless driving in 2006, was driving his BMW near Ahamilla, Clonakilty, Co. Cork on 17 September 2024, at 3.20pm, when he attempted to exit onto a minor road at a junction.<\/p>\n
However, Clonakilty District Court heard this week that, as he entered the road, O\u2019Callaghan failed to see a group of five Garda cyclists, who were undergoing mountain bike training at the time, approaching the junction.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Callaghan also failed to stop at the junction and narrowly missed the two officers riding at the front of the group, Echo Live<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n >\u00a0\u201cWe are fair game for crazy drivers\u201d: Cyclist says \u201cI need to cycle with a police officer from now on\u201d after bike camera footage of close passes rejected as \u201cinsufficient evidence\u201d due to lack of witness<\/a><\/p>\n Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy told the court this week that her client was pleading guilty to careless driving.<\/p>\n McCarthy described the junction where the near miss took place as a \u201cdifficult one\u201d where the road \u201ccurved to one side\u201d. She also said O\u2019Callaghan drives on the road in question \u201call the time\u201d.<\/p>\n The motorist claimed that he had \u201cglanced up\u201d as he took the turn, but admitted that he did not properly see the cycling police officers and had been \u201ctaken by surprise\u201d.<\/p>\n The court was also told that O\u2019Callaghan had no recent convictions, was working, and was the father of two children.<\/p>\n Striking out the prosecution, Judge Joanne Carroll concluded that, based on the evidence, she was not satisfied that the incident amounted to careless driving.<\/p>\n Instead, she argued that \u2018driving without due care and attention\u2019 was \u201cprobably a more accurate description\u201d of O\u2019Callaghan\u2019s driving.<\/p>\n