Judge Olann Kelleher was told the motorist threatened to run over, swore at and made an obscene hand gesture to two cyclists he did not realise were off duty gardai.
A man has been convicted of careless driving after a road rage incident with two cyclists during which he swore at them, threatened to run them over, made an obscene had gesture at them and made contact with one of them as he passed.
The motorist did not realise the riders were off duty gardai.
James O’Shea, aged 33 years and with an address at Heartherton Park, South Douglas Rd, Co Cork, told a judge yesterday he disputed every detail of the incident the gardai gave in court testimony.
He said the only thing that was accurate in the evidence was the location of the incident.
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“The last thing I would do is hit anyone with my car,” he told Judge Olann Kelleher at Cork District Court yesterday, Monday.
"I was driving at five miles per hour. I couldn’t have been any more careful."
When one of the cyclists, off-duty Garda sergeant Ger O’Callaghan had completed his evidence to the court, accused man O’Shea said: “I disagree with everything he said. The only thing the guard said that is true is the location.”
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The incident at the centre of the court case occurred at Doughcloyne Hill, near Togher Rd in Cork City, just after 6pm on July 3rd last year.
Sgt O’Callaghan told the court that at the time of the incident, he was out training on his bike with colleague Garda Michael Collins. Both men were off duty.
“I had my right hand extended to turn right,” Sgt O’Callaghan said.
“Just before the junction I heard the car. He shouted out the window to us: ‘Ye fucking cyclists all over the road.’
"I heard Garda Collins saying: ‘Can you not see we are turning right?’ ”
He then said he heard O’Shea shout that he would run them over the next time, or words to that effect. He also extended his finger, in an obscene gesture towards the two gardai.
Sgt O’Callaghan added when O’Shea’s car passed him on the road, the vehicle slightly touched his leg.
His Garda colleague who was with him at the time gave evidence to the court corroborating Sgt O’Callaghan’s testimony.
O’Shea said the cyclists were chatting to each other as they rode two abreast.
He claimed he beeped his horn to let them know he was behind and that one of them leaned aggressively towards his window and he feared he was about to be punched.
Judge Kelleher convicted O’Shea of careless driving and fined him €300.
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