Cyclist sues after allegedly being struck by jeep driven by sister of Regency Hotel murder victim
A cyclist claims he suffered a severe and complex injury to his foot after he was struck by a jeep.
Sound technician Andrew Walsh (35) also told the High Court today that he felt intimidated by two men when he was lying on the road after being knocked off his bike at Meath Street, Dublin 8 on May 19, 2011.
He claims his bicycle was struck from the rear by a Nissan Qashqai Jeep driven by Maria Byrne of Windmill Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12.
She is the sister of murder victim David Byrne who was shot dead in the Regency Hotel in February 2016.
In his action, Mr Walsh with an address in Dublin 8 claims Ms Byrne drove in a manner which was allegedly dangerous, allegedly failed to keep a proper lookout or to brake properly to avoid the collision.
The claims are fully denied by Ms Byrne.
Mr Walsh claims he suffered injuries including two fractures to his right foot. He said the pain in his foot, and other symptoms including involuntary twitching, has persisted and he has undergone surgery.
He requires further surgery on the injury in the future, he claims.
Opening the case Stephen Lanigan-O'Keeffe SC for Mr Walsh said when his client was on the ground the mother of the defendant, Mrs Sadie Byrne, who was with the defendant at the time of the collision allegedly tipped ash from a cigarette towards his client.
In his evidence, Mr Walsh said he was an extremely careful cyclist but on the date of the collision the jeep "came in on top of me" knocking him over the bars of the bike and onto the road.
He said he suffered injuries, and rang an ambulance. When he was on the ground a lady attempted to help him and asked if he was ok.
He said she left shortly afterwards after two men approached him when he was on the ground, and told him to get up.
He said he felt "very, very intimidated" adding they were "aggressive" towards him.
One of them he said was smoking cannabis and attempted to put it in his mouth.
He also said he saw the men speaking with the defendant's mother before the ambulance took him to hospital.
He said before the accident he had been fairly active and was in good shape, and had played basketball which he can no longer do.
However, the complex injury he had suffered, particularly to his toes had changed his life adversely during the course of his work at the Gate Theatre.
He told the court that at times he has had to use a walking stick and fears he will be "an old man before my time."
Under cross-examination by Vincent Foley SC for Ms Byrne, Mr Walsh denied that versions of the accident he gave to the gardaí 10 days after the incident and to his consultant engineer differed to the version he has given to the court.
Mr Walsh also denied trying to mislead anybody when Mr Foley put it to him that injuries the plaintiff sustained to his right foot that required medical intervention in 2008, 2009, and 2010 had not been disclosed to the court.
He said that he had recovered from those particular injuries, and denied engaging in a pattern of not disclosing all relevant material about his medical history or the circumstances of the accident to the court.
The case, before Ms Justice Bronagh O'Hanlon, continues.
