A 27-YEAR-OLD man was yesterday remanded in custody after he was charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of two teenagers who were passengers in the car he was driving.
James Simms was charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of CJ Dolan (16) and Derry O’Callaghan (19) at Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny in Cork on May 14th.
Garda Danny Culloty gave evidence at Cork District Court yesterday of arrest, charge and caution and told the court that Mr Simms made no reply to either charge.
Insp Gary McPolin said gardaí were seeking a remand in custody as they feared Mr Simms, with an address at St Luke’s Avenue, Wellington Road, would not stand trial if granted bail.
He said that gardaí were also concerned that further offences might be committed if Mr Simms was granted bail due to a high level of emotion in the area following the two deaths.
However, Mr Simms’s solicitor, Diarmuid Kelleher argued for bail and said Mr Simms had been in Cork since the incident in May and gardaí only arrested him yesterday.
He said that his client had been driving a car that had been rammed by another vehicle and that he was a victim in the case, having suffered a broken back in the collision.
Judge Tim Lucey said that he believed that gardaí had genuine grounds for objecting to bail and he remanded Mr Simms in custody to appear on August 18th.
Another man, Philip Murphy (40) of Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny is already charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two teenagers.
Last week, Cork District Court heard that the DPP had directed that Mr Murphy be tried on indictment on the dangerous driving causing death charges and another charge.
Mr Murphy has been remanded in custody at Limerick Prison.