A 20- year-old Ballina man who reversed into a woman while she was crossing the road was convicted of careless driving at Ballina District Court this week.
Maureen Moran told the court that as she tried to cross over the road at Bridge Street, Ballina on April 17 this year to her husband, who was waiting in a car, she was knocked to the ground. When she came round she heard James Maughan, 66 RidgePool Village, Ballina saying, “What the f**k are you doing there?” before he got back into his car.
Garda Caroline Taaffe, who was in the vicinity, said that she saw Ms Moran on the ground and observed the defendant and his wife get out of their Volkswagen Passat, which was parked on double yellow lines, and tell the lady to get up off the ground, with the defendant’s wife using “foul language” towards Ms Moran.
Solicitor Joe Tuohy said that his client made a mistake when reversing and did not check his centre rear view mirror. Judge Mary Devins reduced the charge to careless driving and said that, while Maughan was in the wrong, Ms Moran should not have crossed the road at that location. Maughan, who has no previous convictions, was convicted and fined €300.
