Man denies dangerous driving led to Paudie Palmer tragedy

BY OLIVIA KELLEHER

A MAN who has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of GAA commentator Paudie Palmer allegedly told friends that he had consumed alcohol and left the scene of an accident, his trial has heard.

Mr Palmer, the hugely popular 65-year-old broadcaster with C103/96FM and a judge of the Southern Star Sports Awards, died on January 8th, 2023 at Cork University Hospital.

He passed away following a collision which occurred at Dunkereen Crossroads, near Innishannon days after Christmas, on December 29th, 2022.

Bohdan Bezverkhyi of Rigsdale House, Rigsdale, Ballinhassig, has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Palmer.

The 33-year-old Ukrainian man pleaded guilty to other charges, including that he failed to report the incident to gardai, failed to offer assistance to the injured person, failed to stop, and that he left the scene of the crash.

Mr Bezverkhyi also pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving in a separate incident in Curraheen in Co Cork on December 28th, 2022.

Prosecution Barrister Brendan Kelly gave an outline of the evidence to the jury of seven men and five women at the Central Criminal Court in Cork on the opening day of the trial last week.

He said the evidence will be that Colette Crowley was at home at 9.45am and she heard a revving car followed by a loud bang. A red Peugeot car driven by Mr Palmer was against the embankment. She went to his assistance.

Gardaí attended at the scene and Mr Palmer was brought to Cork University Hospital but later died. Mr Bezverkhyi was subsequently arrested.

Mr Kelly said that it would be the case of the State that Mr Palmer had the right of way as he was travelling from a main road and that the road the accused was on, had a stop line and stop sign.

Mr Kelly said that Mr Bezverkhyi had admitted his involvement in the crash in a garda interview. ‘He admitted to gardaí to having left the scene — that he effectively panicked.’

He said that the mobile phone of Mr Bezverkhyi was subsequently seized and examined. Mr Kelly said that the evidence would be that the Ukrainian man — speaking in Russian — admitted to friends that he had consumed alcohol at the time and left the scene of the crash.

The case is continuing this week and is being presided over by Judge Colin Daly. The accused is being assisted in court by an interpreter who speaks Russian.