Joseph Coughlan acquitted of careless driving causing serious harm

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Joseph Coughlan was acquitted of careless driving causing serious harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 30 September 2020.

The case concerned a five-year-old boy who was briefly trapped under the front wheel of Mr Coughlan’s truck at Ongar, west Dublin, in 2016.

Judge Pauline Codd ruled that the prosecution case was speculative and said she struggled to find evidence of careless driving. The jury was released after legal argument, and the judge formally acquitted Mr Coughlan.

The boy spent 23 days in intensive care and suffered serious injuries, including lung and abdominal injuries requiring surgery and skin grafting.