Courts

Man found guilty of dangerous driving causing death of GAA commentator Paudie Palmer

Bohdan Bezverkhyi (33) remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on May 2nd

Paudie Palmer (65) was seriously injured in road traffic collision on December 29th, 2022 and died in hospital on January 8th, 2023

Olivia Kelleher
Thu Apr 18 2024 - 15:08

A man has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of GAA commentator Paudie Palmer in Co Cork.

Bohdan Bezverkhyi (33), originally from Ukraine but with an address at Rigsdale House, Ballinhassig, had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Cork on December 29th, 2022.

Mr Palmer (65) was seriously injured in the collision and died in hospital on January 8th, 2023. The father of two taught for 40 years at St Brogan’s College in Bandon, was also a columnist for The Echo newspaper and commentated on GAA for Cork radio stations.

The jury of seven women and five men at Cork Circuit Criminal Court returned a unanimous guilty verdict following almost six hours of deliberations.

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Judge Jonathan Dunphy thanked the jury for their attention to detail and remanded Bezverkhyi in custody for sentencing on May 2nd. Victim impact statements will be prepared in advance of that hearing.

The trial heard that Bezverkhyi admitted to his mother and friends in text messages just hours after the collision that he had “left the scene of a traffic accident drunk”. The messages were translated and presented in evidence.

“I got in a to a car accident. Advise me what to do. I am in the wrong 100%. I drove off. I was drunk. There is no excuse for me. I am guilty of all,” he said in one.

In another exchange he was asked by a friend why he had not gone to gardaí, he replied “because I am not sober”.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the jury that Mr Palmer was around 300 to 500 metres from his home when the collision occurred. She indicated that the cause of death was “traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries with thoracic injuries due to a road traffic collision”.

The State’s case was that Mr Bezverkhyi went through a stop sign just as Mr Palmer’s car was coming to the crossroads. The collision caused Mr Palmer’s car to spin and collide with the embankment.

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