Sister ‘would have been killed stone dead’ by Newpark dangerous driver Kilkenny Court told

A motorist who drove at two sisters who were out for a walk has been convicted of dangerous driving at Kilkenny District Court.

Nicky Campion, 75 Newpark Close, has been warned to have no contact with the sisters by a judge who has also imposed a suspended prison sentence.
Mr Campion had denied the charge.

Sisters Katie and Helen Meagher were walking through Newpark Close on January 31 last when Mr Campion ‘came driving towards me at a high rate of speed,’ Katie Meagher gave evidence in court.
She said her sister, Helen, had to pull her out of the way by grabbing her hair, or ‘he would have hit me’.

Katie said she recognised Mr Campion because she knew him from a young age.
She said she also recognised Mr Campion’s cousin, who she knew, who was a passenger in the car.

Gardaí on the scene
Gardaí arrived on the scene within minutes, Katie said, and she made a statement about what had happened to them.

Answering questions from solicitor Chris Hogan, for Mr Campion, Katie said she had her sister were at the Newpark Shopping Centre side of the estate.
She said she was on the edge of the footpath walking.

When Mr Hogan said there were inconsistencies in her statement about what direction the ladies were walking Katie said she had to turn around when the car ‘came at’ her.

Helen Meagher said she was walking with her sister when the incident happened. She told the court that Mr Campion’s cousin was videoing through a window.

She had to pull Katie out of the way by her hair or ‘she would have been killed stone dead’ with the speed Mr Campion was doing.
She said he came back down the street and tried to do it again. “Luckily I got Katie into a garden,” Helen said.

Helen said Mr Campion’s mother’s house was nearby and she saw Mr Campion’s sister come out of the house and ask him ‘what the f*** is going on?’

Distressed and angry
Garda PJ Lawlor said he was on mobile patrol with a colleague when he was flagged down at Newpark Close by the Meagher sisters. They were both distressed and angry, he told the court.
He took statements at the scene. The incident occurred 200/300 metres from Mr Campion’s home, the garda said.

There were a few people on the street when the gardaí arrived but all declined to give statements.
Garda Lawlor took a statement from Mr Campion about two months later. He denied swerving at the ladies.

The garda read Mr Campion’s statement to the court.
When the statements of the two Meagher sisters were read to Mr Campion in the garda station he said they were not true, that they were falsely accusing him.
He told gardaí he was not even in town that day.
He said Katie and Helen were trying to get him into trouble.

In his statement Mr Campion also said his sister had told him Helen and Katie were up at his house that day, trying to break windows.
Garda Lawlor said Mr Campion has a full licence now but at the time he was on a learner’s permit.

An application to dismiss the charges, by Mr Hogan, was denied.
Judge Geraldine Carthy said the evidence of the Meagher sisters was consistent. She convicted Mr Campion of dangerous driving.

As Mr Campion was not in court the matter was adjourned to the next court sitting and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, for sentencing.
On Monday of this week Mr Campion met gardaí by arrangement, at the court house, and that bench warrant was executed.

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Mr Hogan said his client had not been in court for the hearing as he had just started a new job.
Doing his best
Mr Campion ‘is doing his level best’ to get his life back on track, Mr Hogan said. He has employment and is doing well.
A lot of his client’s previous convictions related to the misuse of intoxicants, the solicitor said, but Mr Campion has addressed this.
He is in a supportive relationship and has disassociated with a lot of his former negative peer group.

Judge Carthy said that in the circumstances she would convict Mr Campion and impose a four month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
She told him to engage with the probation service and attend any therapeutic appointments offered.
Mr Campion was also told to have no contact with Helen and Katie Meagher.
He was disqualified from driving for two years.