The owner of an Offaly bus hire company has pleaded guilty to failing to properly maintain a school bus that was later involved in a fatal crash.
A charge that the owner’s failure to maintain the bus had caused the death of Michael White (15) has been dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The bus crashed on a bog road just outside Clara, Co Offaly, on April 4th, 2006, when the back axle came away. The owners of Clara Cabs, Raymond and Ruairí McKeown, River Street, Clara, had pleaded not guilty to six counts.
Raymond McKeown yesterday pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to failing to maintain the bus in a condition that was safe and without risk to the health and welfare of persons.
Judge Margaret Heneghan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court told the jury that Raymond McKeown had pleaded guilty to one of the counts and a nolle prosequi had been entered in relation to the remaining five.
Ruairí McKeown had been discharged from the indictment and the trial continues in relation to O’Reilly Commercials Ltd regarding failures in mechanical checks on the vehicle.