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Learner driver avoids jail for causing serious injuries to cyclist
Summary
Paulina Galantkiewicz, a 34‑year‑old learner driver from Belmont Park, Raheny, was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after she ran over cyclist Aline Taveres, 34, on Oak Road, Clondalkin, on 1 June 2018. Galantkiewicz told the court she panicked, pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes, and rolled over the cyclist. She had no prior convictions. The jury found her guilty on the sole count after an hour and a half of deliberation. Judge Martin Nolan, noting the lack of aggravating factors such as speed, alcohol or drugs, and Galantkiewicz's unblemished record, imposed a two‑year suspended sentence and a four‑year automatic disqualification from driving, with no requirement to retake the driving test. The sentence reflected the serious injuries sustained by Taveres, who now uses a wheelchair and has not worked since the accident. The court heard that the collision occurred in wet weather, with no independent witnesses but CCTV evidence. Paulina Galantkiewicz pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Learner driver avoids jail for causing serious injuries to cyclist. Charges or matters: dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Thames Aline Taveres (34) at Oak Road, Clondalkin, on June 1, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 1, 2018 Adjournment
- 2021-10-29 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Thames Aline Taveres (34) at Oak Road, Clondalkin, on June 1, 2018 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: He said he had to decide if Galantkiewicz deserved a custodial sentence by reason of her actions by balancing what occurred, as well as the mitigating factors. Judge Nolan imposed a two-year suspended sentence, as well as an automatic four year disqualification from driving.; Last month a jury returned a verdict of guilty on the sole count after deliberating for an hour and a half and sentencing was adjourned to today.
Places mentioned
- Belmont
- Belmont Park
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Oak Road
Topics
Drugs Road Traffic Stage Sentence
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