Cyclists from the seven-rider club training spin gave evidence in court. They said the car veered towards them twice before impact. The court was told the driver's face was red with rage.
Motorist twice veered towards, then hit, cycling club spin
A driver whose car hit a cyclist out training with her club had a face red with rage just before the incident, a court has been told.
John Conlon (64) of Pitfield, Lissycasey, Co Clare, was banned from driving for two years at Ennis District Court.
The car he was driving hit a member of the Clare Ladies Cycling Club when the were training last May.
Conlon was convicted of dangerous driving, for which he was banned and also fined €1,250. And he was also convicted of leaving the scene of the collision.
“Anyone who does that deserves very little sympathy,” Judge Patrick Durcan told him.
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There was evidence in the case from six cyclists who said they saw Conlon’s car zig-zag on a stretch of road between Lissycasey and Ballynacally.
The cyclists told the court that Conlon’s car swerved towards their group twice.
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However, Conlon denied this and said the evidence was “lies”.
One of the cyclists said after Conlon’s car hit the bike being ridden by her club mate Geraldine Lynch he should expletives at the riders.
He told the seven-rider group “you are all over the f**king road or get off the f***ing road”, cyclist Rose Hally said in evidence.
She also said that the group was in single file when the incident took place.
“We were very much in shock. He could have hurt someone,” Ms Hally said.
Áine Taaffe, another one of the cyclists, said as Conlon’s car veered towards her and her club mates his face was red with rage.
The judge said the sun was blinding on the day and that Conlon had not taken care.
However, Conlon said the sun was not a factor in his driving. He claimed he had not veered towards the cyclists.
And he also said he had not hit any of them and was only driving at 35km per hour.
Judge Durcan said the evidence given by the cyclists was consistent. And Conlon was convicted despite his denials.
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