The trial of a Kerry man accused of driving over a woman’s head has heard he lied to gardaí about the circumstances of the incident.
26-year-old Caimin Sheedy of Rusheen, Firies, has pleaded not guilty to one count of reckless endangerment, relating to an incident almost four years ago.
He’s accused of driving over a young woman’s head with a van twice, after bringing a group back to his mother’s house in Firies from a night out in Killarney in July 2022.
Mollie Hegarty and two friends were visiting Killarney from Cork for a night out on July 18, 2022, and they met Caimin Sheedy and two of his friends at The Grand Hotel, before all six got into his van at the end of the night.
The young women did not know the accused or his friends prior to the night in question.
Mr Sheedy’s friend told the trial Caimin Sheedy brought them back to his mother’s house in Firies, in the belief his mother and brother were not home.
When the six people arrived at the house in the van, Molly Hegarty and a friend got out of the back of the van, only for it to reverse and knock her down, before the back wheel ran over her head.
The van stopped, and then drove forward, with the same wheel driving over her head.
Ms Hegarty suffered severe injuries including a broken back and neck, while she had to re-learn how to walk and still suffers with memory issues and has not regained feeling in some parts of her body.
She told the trial she feared she would die or be paralysed for life after the incident.
It is the prosecution’s case Mr Sheedy was reckless in creating a risk of substantial harm or death to Ms Hegarty by his actions.
The defence argues that it was an accident, and Mr Sheedy did not consciously disregard an obvious risk.
The trial also heard Mr Sheedy told gardaí he dropped his friends into Killarney on the night but did not join them, and that his friends and the young women arrived back at his house without warning.
Mr Sheedy also denied driving back over Ms Hegarty’s head a second time to gardaí.
Prosecuting barrister Tom Rice told the jury these parts of his signed statement are not true; Senior Counsel for the defence, Séamus Roche, acknowledged his client’s statement has inconsistencies.
Mr Rice said Caimin Sheedy acted recklessly and could have killed her.
Senior Counsel Séamus Roche said bringing a charge of reckless endangerment for this offence is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Mr Roche is assisted by Katie O'Connell BL, instructed by solicitor Eimear Griffin.
The jury was told the mindset of Mr Sheedy is crucial, and they will have to decide if his actions were reckless.
The jury are likely to begin deliberating later today.
