A French tourist who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of North Clare man Jerry O’Connor (71), received a 17 month suspended prison sentence at Ennis Circuit Court this afternoon.
Olivier Le Bozec (42), was on holiday in Clare with his family in July of 2023 when the incident took place.
Mr Le Bozec, his wife and their eight year old son were travelling from Galway to the Ailwee Caves on July 27, 2023.
The court heard that in an initial interview with gardaí, Mr Le Bozec said that he was driving on the correct side of the road when the incident took place.
However, in a subsequent interview with gardaí, Mr Le Bozec was shown CCTV footage of his car taken from a garage in Ballyvaughan, which showed his car driving on the wrong side of the road.
The court heard that after seeing the footage, Mr Le Bozec admitted that he must have been driving on the wrong side of the road.
Speaking in court today, Mr O’Connor’s widow, Helga Himmelsbach, said her life will never be the same following his death.
“I still cannot get used to saying that I am a widow, that Jerry is gone forever,” she said.
The date of today’s sentencing coincides with the date that Mr O’Connor and Ms Himmelsbach got engaged.
“For many couples, this is a day to celebrate, but for me it is a day of horror and panic that brings to mind Jerry’s destruction,” she said.
Ms Himmelsbach brought a picture of Mr O Connor and a candle with her to the stand to read the victim impact statement.
“This defendant does not know me but he has ruined my life utterly, my past, my present and my future,” she said.
“I hope that he will get to feel the consequences of his crime in a very palpable way.”
She thanked local gardaí for allowing her to sit with Mr O’Connor in the minutes after his death.
“I am glad that I could sit by his broken body, keep the flies off of his face, and bear witness to his destruction,” she said.
She also spoke of the impact that Mr O’Connor’s passing has had on her life.
“Sometimes I get flashes of what Jerry must have seen in those last few moments of his life,” she said.
“Without him, I am a leaf in the wind.”
She went on to say that “I find it difficult to have confidence in life anymore” and that “nights have turned into restless, waking nightmares”.
In addition to the 17 month suspended sentence, Mr Le Bozec also received a €7,000 fine and four years of a driving ban.
Addressing the court before the sentencing, Mr Le Bozec said he and his wife regretted the incident.
“My wife and I deeply regret what happened, this will be with us for the rest of our lives,” he said through an interpreter.
“I know what I will say will have little impact on the pain. We will always think about the man who died that day until the end of our lives.
“We are truly and deeply sorry for what has happened. I will never, ever forget what happened on that tragic day.”
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and blogger who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.