Paulina Galantkiewicz receives suspended sentence for dangerous driving

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

Paulina Galantkiewicz received a two-year suspended prison sentence and a four-year driving ban after a jury convicted her of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm. The sentencing proceedings were reported on 30 October 2021.

Galantkiewicz pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to causing serious bodily harm to cyclist Thames Aline Taveres. The collision happened on Oak Road, Clondalkin, on 1 June 2018.

A jury found her guilty on 23 September 2021, the second day of her trial. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case for sentencing.

Galantkiewicz had offered to plead guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily injury, but the State did not accept that plea. She was a learner driver and was unaccompanied when the collision occurred.

The prosecution said she failed to stop at the junction and keep a proper lookout, then failed to stop immediately after hitting the cyclist and drove over her. Galantkiewicz told the trial she had been driving slowly, checked both sides and did not see anyone. She said she panicked after feeling a bump and pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.

The court heard that Taveres suffered extensive injuries and uses a wheelchair. Judge Nolan said the injuries were incredibly serious and had caused significant trauma to her and her family. He noted that Galantkiewicz had not seen the cyclist and that there were no other aggravating circumstances such as speeding or phone use.

Agreeing with the defence mitigation, Judge Nolan said it was probably unlikely that the collision would have been avoided if a licensed driver had been in the car.