Co Armagh delivery driver, who caused 'serious injuries' to a motorcyclist, pleads guilty to careless driving at Craigavon court
“I know you didn’t set out to hurt the victim,” a judge has told a delivery driver who caused ‘grievous’ injury to a motorcyclist while doing a U-turn.
Jordan Trevor Walker, aged 25, from Milltown Road, Donaghcloney, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with causing grievous bodily injury to a man by careless driving.
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District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he had read the Victim Impact Statement which relays ‘significant’ impact on the victim.
The court heard that on April 14 last year at around 12.45pm, there was a collision between a car and a motorcycle on the Charlestown Road, Craigavon.
A prosecutor explained the car driver had been carrying out a U-turn manoeuvre when the motorcycle crashed into the rear of the car.
Walker’s barrister Ms Ciara O’Neill referred District Judge Michael Ranaghan to character references for the defendant, including a letter from Walker himself apologising to the victim.
Ms O’Neill referred to the pre-sentence report which pointed out that Walker may not have taken full responsibility for the collision saying he didn’t see the motorbike and believed it may have been travelling at speed. However he goes on to say that he admits he should have gone to the end of the road and turned.
"It’s not the case that he’s denying responsibility for the offence. He does accept that the U-turn he made was careless,” said Ms O’Neill.
"It was a very unfortunate accident particularly so for the complainant who suffered very serious injuries as a result of it and Mr Walker is extremely apologetic for that," she said.
"He has said he is very sorry and never set out to cause any harm and was upset to hear about the injuries he (the victim) sustained and the distress this collision caused him,” said the barrister, adding that she understood there are ongoing personal injury proceedings.
She added that her client has no criminal record apart from receiving three penalty points for a defective tyre in 2022. “This is his first experience before the court and one he doesn’t intend to have again,” she said.
Ms O’Neill urged the district judge to consider this a “momentary lapse in concentration”.
She added this has negatively impacted on Walker’s mental health and will impact on his employment as a delivery driver as a driving ban will mean he won’t be able to continue in that role.
District Judge Ranaghan said he was concerned when he read the pre-sentence report in what appeared to be ‘victim blaming’ but said Walker had realised what he should have done was turned around at the bottom of the road and ‘none of this would have happened’.
He said the court must consider the nature of the careless driving and the impact on the victim in this case.
The district judge noted Walker’s ‘genuine remorse’, saying: “I know you didn’t set out to hurt the victim but it was a natural consequence of your careless driving.”
He further noted that Walker had no criminal record of any note and the impact the result of this case will have on the defendant.
"It is not a case for imprisonment,” said the district judge. He ordered Walker to carry out 150 hours Community Service plus a 12-month driving ban.