The trial of a circus boss charged in connection with the death of a mother and daughter when a runaway circus trailer hit their car near Galway city last April took an unexpected turn today when he changed his plea to guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court today.
Stephen Courtney (35), Earl Street, Longford town, Co Longford, pleaded guilty to the charge that he intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct which allowed a trailer to be attached to a lorry unit and another trailer in a defective manner, thereby causing the trailer to become detached at Cloonacauneen, Tuam Road, Galway, on April 6th.
Circus lorry driver, Francisco Daria (23), a Venezuelan national with addresses in Cherry Wood Park, Dublin, and San Lodovico, Sio Saliceto, Italy, who had also denied two counts of dangerous driving which had caused the deaths of Mrs Joan Reilly and her daughter, Siobhan Reilly, on the N17 at Cloonacauneen, three kms from Galway City on April 6 last year, also changed his plea to that of guilty.
Judge Raymond Groarke discharged the jury and adjourned sentencing in the case to December 12.
He directed a victim impact report on the women's next of kin be prepared for that date.