Courts / Dublin / Report

Bus driver not guilty of causing death of motorcyclist

Summary

Barry Kennedy, a 51‑year‑old Dublin bus driver, was tried at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for careless driving that caused the death of 25‑year‑old Brazilian motorcyclist Lucas Lapa Sanchez on 21 October 2015. Kennedy, who had been employed by Dublin Bus for 16 years, was driving a "ghost bus" with no passengers when he turned right into the Broadstone Depot on Constitution Hill. CCTV footage showed the bus travelling at about 21 km/h colliding with Sanchez's motorcycle, which was moving at about 61 km/h on a wet, windy night. The prosecution alleged Kennedy failed to exercise due care, looking out his right‑hand window during the turn. The defence argued Kennedy had no prior incidents and highlighted the difficult turn, lighting, and Sanchez's lack of high‑visibility gear. After 1 hour and 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Bus driver not guilty of causing death of motorcyclist. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• October 21, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2018-05-08 Publication

Why: The trial heard it was unclear if this was as a result of the accident or because of extensive Luas works in the area. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Related court reports

• Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
• Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
• Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
• 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
• Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
• 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'

Read the original CNI report