‘Remorse has never been seen’ – Family hit out at drunk driver who hit well-known broadcaster in fatal crash

The blackmail got here because the Palmer people delivered tough sufferer have an effect on statements ahead of Cork Circuit Prison Courtroom the place Bohdan Bezverkhyi (33), a local of Ukraine however with an cope with at Rigsdale Space in Ballinhassig, Co Cork, was once to be sentenced for unhealthy riding inflicting the loss of life of Mr Palmer (65).

Mr Palmer labored for C103FM and 96FM and was once hailed as “the voice of sport in the south”. He was once additionally an uncle of fashion Claudine Keane.

He suffered awful accidents within the December 2022 strike in west Cork – with the strike going on simply months nearest he had recovered from a major problem.

Mr Palmer’s daughter, Clare, stated ideas her father was once by some means responsible for what came about was once deeply hurtful to his people.

“To hear our father being blamed for this incident was very offensive,” she said.

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“(He was) a man who had only the respect of every single person he came in contact with. Not just the county but the entire country grieved when they heard the news of Dad’s tragic passing – ‘a pillar of society’, ‘the voice of Cork’.

“Just moments before this accident, after spending his first and last Christmas with his first beloved grandchild, Lucas, he left our home to meet a work colleague for a simple coffee and a catch-up.

“He shared his usual morning moment with my mother with a big wave goodbye and a cheeky smile. He was struck by a vehicle that then left the scene only 500 metres from our family house, never to return alive again.

“To hear our father being blamed for this accident is hurtful and even at this late stage, if the accused man had shown any sign of remorse and could at least realise the effect his actions have had…it would be some comfort. But this remorse has never been seen.”

Mr Palmer’s brother John said the family found it incomprehensible that Bezverkhyi left the scene with Paudie lying critically injured in his vehicle.

“What makes it even worse is the fact that the guilty party drove away from the scene of the accident leaving our brother fatally injured in his overturned car on an embankment.

“The guilty party then admitted to his mother and friends in text messages that he had ‘left the scene of the traffic accident drunk’. It is very clear to us from transcripts of the guilty party’s text messages, that he was only concerned about himself and demonstrates no concern whatsoever for our poor brother Paudie.

“The guilty party went through a stop sign, causing Paudie’s car to spin and collide with the embankment, admitted in text messages that he was drunk, drove away from the scene of the accident and then refused to plead guilty to the charge of dangerous driving causing death.”

The conviction related to a collision at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork on December 29, 2022.

Bezverkhyi’s trial lasted two weeks before Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The jury of seven women and five men convicted him on the charge by a unanimous guilty verdict after over five hours of deliberations.

Judge Jonathan Dunphy said he will impose sentence later having heard the victim impact evidence.

During the trial the jury heard details of a number of text messages that Bezverkhyi sent in Russian in the wake of the collision.

The texts were given in English by translator Liudmilla Ladchenko.

In one text the accused said: “It is not funny to me. I will be jailed. Left the scene of a traffic accident. They will take me in now. They will come and get me.”

A chum requested if hehad strike any person. He spoke back: “I did.” He upcoming requested someone else for steerage by way of a textual content message.

“I got in a car accident. Advise me what to do. I am in the wrong 100pc. I drove off – I was drunk. There is no excuse for me. I am guilty of all.”

He said via text that he was “blaming” himself and when requested through a chum why he hadn’t long past to the police he spoke back “because I am not sober.”

Bezverkhyi additionally exchanged textual content messages along with his mom through which he stated that he would hand himself in to gardaí refer to era.

His mom instructed him to place a “remnant of soap” in his region when he passed himself in to police.

In one of the texts he said that he had “left the scene of accident. Was pissed. Nevertheless, need to surrender to the garbage. I don’t see any other way out. I think this is the most correct option”.

The damaging riding inflicting loss of life trial up to now heard proof from Colleague Environment Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster.

She instructed the jury that previous to the submit mortem she was once knowledgeable that Mr Palmer died of accidents he sustained following a top pace highway site visitors strike.

As background, she was once knowledgeable that Mr Palmer was once between 300 metres to 500 metres from his house when the strike took place.

Dr Bolster stated that Mr Palmer suffered a anxious mind shock which incorporated bleeding to his mind and breeding to the membrane underneath his mind.

She stated that he additionally sustained a anxious axonal shock – this can be a tearing of the mind’s lengthy connecting nerve strings which happens when the mind is injured.

Mr Palmer was once admitted to Cork College Health facility (CUH) at the era of the strike.

Alternatively, he kicked the bucket from his accidents on January 8, 2023 and the submit mortem exam was once performed refer to era.

Dr Bolster stated Mr Palmer suffered a “multi compartmental brain injury” and had indicators of clinical intervention at submit mortem.

The courtroom heard that he had sustained blunt drive shock within the accident.

Dr Bolster indicated that the reason for loss of life was once “traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries with thoracic injuries due to a road traffic collision”.

Defence suggest Seamus Roche BL put it to Dr Bolster that Mr Palmer was once no longer dressed in a seat belt when the strike took place.

Dr Bolster stated that this could have ended in an “increased vulnerability” for Mr Palmer.

“He had very significant blunt force trauma to his head.”

The 33-year-old defendant was once assisted in courtroom through an interpreter who speaks Russian.

Mr Palmer is survived by his wife Colette, his daughters Claire and Emily, his brothers Denis, Richie and John, his grandson Lucas Padraig and his extended family, former colleagues at St Brogan’s College in Bandon and a wide circle of friends.

In a special funeral tribute last year, Mr Palmer’s flag-covered coffin was carried from the centre of Innishannon village to St Mary’s Church in relay by honour guards drawn from Valley Rovers GAA club, Templenoe GAA club and St Brogan’s secondary school where Mr Palmer taught for over 40 years.

His brothers, Denis and Johnny, delivered a special eulogy to the 65 year old who had successfully defied a serious illness diagnosis in 2019 to fully recover only to then suffer fatal injuries in a road traffic incident just four days after Christmas.

His people famous to mourners he had gotten to spend Christmas along with his adored first grandchild, Lucas Padraig.