Courts / Kildare / Report
Serial road offender on drugs when he hit seriously injured pedestrians
Summary
Paul Connolly, 37, with 14 dangerous‑driving convictions and 3 hit‑and‑run convictions, drove under the influence of cocaine and benzodiazepine on Coolmine Road on 1 May 2018. While driving his child to school, he mounted a footpath, first striking Michael Igoe, 54, and then student Francis Dhala, 19. Igoe suffered a fractured ankle, bruising, torn shoulder muscles and a concussion; Dhala sustained a severe head injury, requiring multiple surgeries and a prolonged hospital stay. Connolly left the scene calmly, later claiming he thought he had hit a bush. He was intercepted by a driving instructor and Gardaí, admitted to drug use, and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, driving under the influence, possession of cannabis, failing to remain at the scene, failing to offer assistance, failing to alert Gardaí, and driving without insurance or a licence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Serial road offender on drugs when he hit seriously injured pedestrians. Charges or matters: dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Mr Igoe and Mr Dhala at Coolmine Road, Coolmine on May 1, 2018; driving under the influence of drugs; possession of cannabis; failing to remain at the scene; failing to offer assistance; failing to alert gardaí; as well as driving without insurance or a driving licence on the same occasion. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 1, 2018 Incident
- October 2017 Incident
- 2019-04-05 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Mr Igoe and Mr Dhala at Coolmine Road, Coolmine on May 1, 2018; driving under the influence of drugs; possession of cannabis; failing to remain at the scene; failing to offer assistance; failing to alert gardaí; as well as driving without insurance or a driving licence on the same occasion (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He said if the court accepted Connolly genuinely now wanted to address his issues, suspending a significant portion of any sentence might provide an incentive.; Judge Greally adjourned sentencing until May.
Places mentioned
- Rehabilitation Centre. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Dublin
- Coolmine Road
Topics
Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence
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