A young farmer who killed a pensioner when his tractor went on to the roof of the man's car was spared a jail sentence yesterday after his widow pleaded for leniency.
Maurice O'Connell (21), from the Castle, Ballymacphilip, Ballyhooly, Co Cork, was found guilty earlier this month at Cork Circuit Criminal Court of dangerous driving, causing the death of Mr Peter Foley (66), at Knockananig, Fermoy, on August 7th last year.
Yesterday Mr Foley's widow, Amelia Jane, who survived the crash, wrote to Judge Patrick Moran asking him not to impose a sentence. Mrs Foley said the fact the trial had established the cause of the crash was of great help to her and her family in helping them come to terms with "the needless loss of a beloved husband and father".
"Given that the true cause has been established and that there was no malice aforethought on the part of Maurice, we feel that a custodial sentence would not further support the healing process of the Foley family."
Judge Moran imposed a three-year suspended sentence, fined O'Connell £3,500 and disqualified him from driving for seven years.