Bereaved man pleads guilty to drink driving causing the death of funeral mourner in Co Cork

Court District Criminal Court

A MAN WHO had attended the funeral earlier that day of his father got into a car over the limit and knocked down and killed a woman who had travelled to Cork for the requiem mass of her uncle, a court has heard.

Gobnait Twomey, a native of Ballingeary village in Co Cork had graduated from college as a physiotherapist just months before her death on 13 of December 2022.

The barrister representing 42-year-old farmer Michael Lucey of Derryvaleen, Ballingeary, Co Cork said that he would live with the guilt of being responsible for the death of Gobnait Twomey for the rest of his life.

Elizabeth O’Connell, SC, representing Lucey, told Judge Colin Daly that “there are other prisons other than those made of stone.”

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that the accident occurred at 1.10am on the 13 of December, 2022 in Ballingeary village.

Garda Deirdre O’Mahony said that on 12 of December 2022 Lucey had attended the funeral of his father whilst Gobnait, who was a native of Ballingeary, had travelled from her home in Dublin for the funeral of her uncle who had died suddenly.

Lucey had attended a reception after the funeral of his father. He made a decision to drive home in the car of another man whom it was felt had too much to drink.

He drove down Main Street in Ballingeary. The road narrowed on a bend and whilst there was light present it was of poor quality.

Gobnait Twomey, her sister and her mother were exchanging condolences with a brother of the defendant and another man. The Hyundai car crashed into Gobnait Twomey who was pronounced dead at the scene. Other persons present were injured in the incident.

Garda O’Mahony said Lucey was visibly distressed when he realised that he had killed Gobnait Twomey. The court heard  that the quantity of alcohol detected in his system on the date of the offence was 179 mgs of alcohol per 100mls of urine.

Dash cam footage of the scene obtained by gardai revealed that Lucey had been driving at an average speed of just 27.3 kilometres per hours. He was under the speed limit.

O’Connell said that as her client was over the limit his reaction time was poor. The mourners were also all in black and the lighting was relatively poor.

She said that her client was hugely remorseful for what had occurred and wanted to apologise profusely to the family of the deceased.

She said that Lucey, who has no previous convictions, was a thoroughly decent man. O’Connell added that her client wasn’t a heavy or even a regular drinker.

Jay Ammari, the partner of Gobnait, made a powerful victim impact statement. He said he was at their home in Dublin at 5am on 13 December 2022 having attended a work Christmas party.

He was woken by a knock at the door. Two gardaí informed him that his beloved Gobnait had died.

“It was like being stabbed. It was a shock for me. I thought Ballingeary was the safest place in the world.”

Ammari said that Gobnait had dedicated the last few years of her life to her studies. He told Judge Daly that Gobnait had graduated from college the September prior to her passing.

“The day after she died she received an offer from a recruitment agency. I lost my best friend. We were together eleven years.”

The French national said that since the sudden death of his partner his life has been completely empty. He pays his rent and bills and goes to work but his existence feels meaningless.

“I have nobody to live for now. It hurts me to go to Cork. Cork was Gobnait and Gobnait was Cork. I miss her every day.”

Sean Twomey, the brother of Gobnait Twomey, also made a powerful victim impact statement on behalf of his family. Gobnait was one of nine children.

He said that Gobnait had the travel bug from the time she went on a J1 to America as a teenager. She had made friends all over the world. He stressed that  Gobnait was “generous to a fault” and wherever she was “craic” followed.

“She wore her heart on her sleeve. She was the best of all of us.”

Padraig Horgan who was injured in the collision in Ballingeary also delivered a victim impact statement. He said that he would never forget seeing Eiblis Twomey kneeling over the body of her daughter Gobnait on the road.

“This was a harrowing experience. It will haunt me every day.”

He suffers from back injuries which impacts on the quality of his life.

Michael Lucey pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Gobnait Twomey. He also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and to a second charge of dangerous driving.

Sentencing in the case was adjourned until tomorrow this afternoon to facilitate the reading of reports by Judge Colin Daly. The case will be heard in court 5 in Cork Circuit Criminal Court.