A MOTORIST made an ‘error of judgement’ when driving past Carbery factory outside Ballineen and collided with a car ahead of him that was turning left into the factory.

Cameron Forbes (22) of Baurnahulla, Drimoleague pleaded guilty to careless driving at a recent sitting of Bandon District Court

Sgt Eimear O’Connell told the court that on November 16^th last Gda Tadhg O’Sullivan attended a two-vehicle collision on the R586 near the Carbery factory.

‘The accused was the driver of a Skoda Fabia car who was heading eastwards towards Bandon when the collision occurred. A Ford Focus car that was about to turn left at the factory was ahead of him and Mr Forbes ended up hitting the rear of the Ford Focus,’ said Sgt O’Connell.

The court heard that the accused has no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy said her client, who was fully insured, had been travelling towards Bandon and thought the Ford Focus was about to turn right into a carpark across the road from the factory.

‘Instead that car was turning left and my client collided with it. He thought he was passing inside of it correctly. He made a wrong judgement that day and he clipped the Ford Focus and no speeding was involved in this collision,’ said Ms McCarthy.

She said her client came back from England to deal with the court case.

‘He lives there and is a carer for his grand-father and works full-time too.’

Judge Joanne Carroll accepted that it was an ‘error of judgement’ but said that he could not assume which way other motorists were going to go.

She convicted and fined him €200 for careless driving giving him four months to pay the fine.