A drunk driver who was involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident refused to appear before the Dublin city coroner's court, an inquest heard yesterday.
Peter Joyce of Log Cabin, Dunsink Lane, Finglas, who is currently serving a three-year prison sentence in Mountjoy Prison, was driving a Ford Fiesta on the wrong side of Forrest Road on May 6th, 2003, when he fatally injured a local man.
Kenneth Nielsen (29), Hilltown Park, Swords, Co Dublin, was driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle when he collided with Joyce.
Mr Nielson's mother, Ms Susan Graham, told the Dublin City Coroner's Court that she had been out with her son celebrating his birthday on the evening of May 5th and he left her just minutes before the fatal accident occurred.
Ms Graham described her son as "a perfectionist" and told the inquest that Mr Nielson was a very responsible driver. She said: "My view is that during the actual court proceedings, Mr Joyce at no stage had to speak about it as he pleaded guilty.
"He expressed remorse by writing, through his solicitors. He never had to face speaking publicly. I don't know that that is right. I feel that it is only through this kind of appearance that they are forced to admit their own wrongdoing."
The Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, said Joyce, who was sentenced on March 18th last to three years for dangerous driving causing death, had declined to appear before the court.
The family told Dr Farrell they did not want him summonsed to appear as that would delay the inquest.
Ms Graham told the court: "Because Mr Joyce pleaded guilty and is not here, a lot of evidence hasn't come forward," she said.
"There was evidence he had had a considerable number of pints and vodkas."
The court heard that on the night of the accident, Ms Graham and her son had gone to Eddie Rockets fast-food restaurant in Swords and then on to the cinema in Dublin's Liffey Valley shopping centre to celebrate his turning 29 the previous day, May 4th.
She said her son, who was an experienced motorcyclist, left the house in Hilltown Park shortly after midnight.
A few minutes later residents of Forrest Road in Swords described hearing a loud bang on the road towards the airport and rushed to the scene.
The inquest jury passed the same finding as the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and asked that it be "acknowledged that the motorcyclist seemed to take the due care and attention that every motorist should take".