AN ENNISKEANE man who caused injury to three people during a head-on collision had a bench warrant issued for his arrest because he did not show up in court.

Tadgh O’Connor (26), of Scrahane, Enniskeane, failed to appear at Bandon District Court.

The court heard that Mr O’Connor, on the day of the collision, was only four days back on the road following a four-year driving ban for another dangerous driving conviction, imposed on November 11th 2020.

Mr O’Connor had 13 previous convictions, mostly road traffic-related, dating back to 2019 and 2020, having been fined and disqualified from driving three times before.

The court heard that on November 30th 2024, Mr O’Connor was driving a silver Peugeot 807 through the centre of Enniskeane when a dangerous manoeuvre caused his car to flip on its roof, injuring the female front seat passenger and two other drivers.

The front seat passenger, Katie Murray (29), gave evidence in court that the accident on Main Street, Derrigra, had left her with 70% capacity in her foot, which still needed physiotherapy.

Ms Murray recalled the moment of impact with a red car as they were driving back to her home, coming from a Centra supermarket.

She said: ‘Tadgh was driving really fast and I told him to slow down. We were coming up to the school and continued on the road when we saw a red car and hit it. The car we were in flipped and landed on the driver’s side and the passenger side was up in the air. I must have passed out by then.’

Another injured driver, Sean Reddington, was travelling from Bantry to his home in Mallow that night. Mr Reddington pulled into a parking space in front of a takeaway to let the defendant’s speeding car through.

Mr Reddington said: ‘I heard a ferocious noise and I didn’t know which direction it came from. The car hit the rear passenger side of my car. I lunged forward and hit the back of a Toyota Rav 4. After the impact the car that hit mine slid past me and collided with a white car head-on. There was a pedestrian crossing around 200 yards up the road.’

Mr Reddington told the court he had to have surgery to his shoulder as a result of the accident.

A further witness statement came from teenager Aidan Murphy, who had come from visiting his grandparents when he became involved in the accident.

Mr Murphy, who received minor cuts and bruises during the accident, said: ‘I saw this car lose control and go into the red car and then topple on top of my bonnet. I got out and the street was full of people. They asked if I was all right. My car was a write-off.’

Ambulance crews were at the scene of the accident and took all three injured to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Garda Wayne Cronin, who attended the scene, said five cars were involved in the accident, two of which were parked.

Garda Cronin played footage of the accident to Judge Joanne Carroll, captured by a CCTV camera at Riordan’s pharmacy.

The court heard that the silver Peugeot was registered in the name of Tadgh O’Connor’s father, John O’Connor, of Allihies.

Solicitor Myra Dinneen, on behalf of Tadgh O’Connor, told the court she had not been able to get in touch with her client, despite several attempts to contact him.

Judge Joanne Carroll issued a bench warrant for the defendant’s arrest. Judge Carroll addressed the witnesses, saying: ‘I regret that this accident happened to all of you. You were all injured parties and you all gave the most detailed evidence.’

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.