Ukrainian sentenced to six years in prison for dangerous driving that caused the death of Paudie Palmer

May 2, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

A six-year jail sentence was handed down on Thursday to the Ukrainian national whose dangerous driving led to the death of GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer, as the family said the accused hurt them more by blaming their loved one for what happened.

Judge Jonathan Dunphy said: “This tragic case related to December 29, 2022, at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, when Mr Palmer was driving his Peugeot car along a road he knew very well when the defendant turned off a minor road onto the main road. road and was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death.”

One of the aggravating factors in the case was a video recorded the previous day by the accused, Bohdan Bezverkhyi, 35, in which he recorded himself driving the same BMW 5 Series in Curraheen, County Cork, at a speed of 200 kilometers. per hour, for which he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

In relation to the day of the accident which caused the death of Paudie Palmer, the defendant pleaded guilty to four charges relating to leaving the scene of the accident after witnessing the late Mr Palmer’s car overturn.

Other aggravating factors were text messages sent by the defendant to family and friends shortly after the collision. In these texts he stated in various ways:

“I was 100% wrong, I left, I was drunk, there is no excuse for me, I am guilty of everything.”

“I will be imprisoned. “I left the scene of the traffic accident drunk.”

“I’m an idiot. I am guilty of everything. I don’t know what happened to the people. “I blame myself for leaving.”

“He left the scene of the accident. He was angry. “

Judge Dunphy disqualified the defendant from driving for 10 years and handed him a seven-and-a-half-year jail sentence, with the final year-and-a-half suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He was retroactive to December 29, 2022, since the accused has been detained since then.

GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer was fatally injured when his car ended up overturned on an embankment at the junction near his home on December 29, 2022. File image: Dan Linehan
GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer was fatally injured when his car ended up overturned on an embankment at the junction near his home on December 29, 2022. File image: Dan Linehan

Mitigating factors raised by defense lawyer Seamus Roche included the absence of previous convictions and the fact that it would be more difficult for a non-national to serve a prison sentence in a country where he effectively had no family support.

Bohdan Bezverkhyi, of Rigsdale House, Rigsdale, Ballinhassig, Co Cork, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of dangerous driving which caused the death of Mr Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork, on December 29, 2022.

Mr Palmer was fatally injured when his car ended up overturned on an embankment at the junction near his home, after colliding with the defendant’s car, who was then driven from the scene.

The seven women and five men who deliberated for approximately five hours returned to Cork Circuit Criminal Court on April 18 with their unanimous guilty verdict on what was the seventh day of the trial.