A motorist who hit a cyclist and killed him but continued driving on has walked from court a free man after the judge imposed an eight month sentence but suspended all of it.
Zigimantas Gridzuiska – a 39-year-old from Lithuania but with an address at Adross Avenue in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan - was told by Judge Patrick McCartan that he would not have to serve his eight month prison sentence if he left Ireland within 21 days.
The victim’s mother, Lucia O’Farrell confronted Gridzuiska after the sentence yesterday at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and told him: “You murdered my son, how dare you. There is no justice.”
The dead man was 23-year-old Shane O’Farrell (23) from Monaghan. He was killed on August 2nd, 2011, as he cycled along the N2 Dublin to Derry road between Carrickmacross and Castleblayney in Co Monaghan.
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He had just completed his studies at Trinity College Dublin and had submitted his final thesis in the days before he was knocked down and killed. He was known as a talented musician and played in a band called Bicycle Republic and had plans to become a barrister. He was a triathlete and was out training on the night he was hit by Gridzuiska.
When Mr O’Farrell did not arrive home as planned, his family went looking for him and saw the flashing lights of the Garda car where he was found on the road.
The court was told that Gridzuiska was a convicted criminal with 49 previous convictions. Of these, nine were for road traffic incidents but others were for drugs offences, theft and handling stolen property.
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He was given the suspended eight-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to failing to stop at the scene of a crash, failing to stay at the scene and failing to report the crash to gardaí. He also pleaded guilty to driving a defective vehicle. He was acquitted last month of dangerous driving.
Just weeks after he fatally injured Mr O’Farrell he was stopped by gardai and is currently charged with driving with no insurance on that occasion.
An examination of the scene of the crash showed no skid marks from Gridzuiska’s Rover 500. The car was driven on from the scene. Gridzuiska then drove it to a friend’s house before going home. He presented himself to gardai the next day. When his car was inspected by gardai they found extensive damage on the left side as well as a broken windscreen and damaged roof.
The court was told Gridzuiska could have been in no doubt he had hit somebody but that Mr O'Farrell was not adequately lit up.
Judge McCartan told Gridzuiska he was a “massive liability” to the community, adding it was unbelievable he had come to the attention of gardai again for a motoring matter just weeks after fatally hitting Mr O’Farrell. He sentenced him to eight months in jail but suspended it on condition he leave Ireland within 21 days and not return for 10 years. He was also banned from driving for 10 years.
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