Two claims for damages arising after a Dublin woman was killed and her husband injured when their car was in collision with one driven by architect Philip Sheedy were settled at the High Court yesterday.
Mr John Ryan (40), Tymon Crescent, Tallaght, Co Dublin, and his two sons are to be paid £260,000 damages for the loss of Mrs Anne Ryan in her capacity as wife and mother. Mr John Ryan will also receive an undisclosed "very significant sum" for injuries he sustained in the accident.
Sheedy's controversial early release from prison was followed by the resignations of two senior judges earlier this year. Sheedy later returned to prison and his appeal against his four-year sentence will be heard at the Court of Criminal Appeal on Monday.
In the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice Kearns was told that two actions for damages brought against Sheedy had been settled. Two further actions on behalf of the Ryans' two sons, who were in the car at the time of the accident, are outstanding and will "come on in the fullness of time".
The proceedings settled yesterday were brought by Mr Ryan, who was in court but who declined to comment afterwards.
A former meat-boner who, it was stated, would never work again, Mr Ryan brought one action resulting from his own personal injuries. He took a second action on behalf of himself and his two sons for the loss of a wife and mother.
The hearing opened on Thursday and the settlement was announced by Mr Padraig McCartan SC, for the Ryans, yesterday. He said Mr Ryan's personal injury action had been settled for a significant sum and could be struck out. He added that a sum of £260,000 and costs had been agreed in the action related to the loss of Mrs Ryan as a wife and mother. This included £30,816 special damages, for various expenses incurred.
Mr McCartan said the bulk of the £260,000 would be in respect of home help and such. There were two children, James (12) and George (9). Mr Justice Kearns approved a proposal by Mr McCartan that the children be paid £15,000 each out of the settlement. The judge also approved the overall settlement in that action for £260,000 and costs.
The judge said he was pleased the matter had been settled in this way. He added that he wished to extend his profound sympathy to Mr Ryan and his family for all they must have suffered and were undoubtedly still suffering as a result of "this terrible tragedy".
In the proceedings, Mr Ryan claimed Sheedy's car crashed into Glenview roundabout, Tallaght, on March 15th, 1996, somersaulted and then landed on the car driven by Mrs Ryan. Mr Ryan was a passenger in the car and the two boys were in the back.
Sheedy, Newpark, Leixlip, Co Kildare, later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mrs Ryan. In October 1997, Judge Joseph Mathews sentenced him to four years in prison. Judge Matthews granted liberty for a review on October 20th this year.
At a later date, on Sheedy's application, Judge Mathews vacated that part of the order fixing a review date. Last February, the DPP got leave to seek an order quashing a decision of former circuit court judge Cyril Kelly on November 12th, 1998 to suspend the balance of Sheedy's sentence.
Sheedy shortly afterwards surrendered to prison authorities to serve the remainder of the sentence.
Mr Justice Hugh O'Flaherty, then a Supreme Court judge, and the then Mr Justice Cyril Kelly, who had been promoted to the High Court, later resigned over the matter.