Elderly cyclist knocked from bike in Nenagh

An elderly cyclist needed a number of stitches to his head after he was knocked from his bike, Nenagh Court was told.

Michael Creamer, 29, of Ballycarrido, Newtown, Nenagh, pleaded not guilty at the court to driving without due care and attention at Borrisokane road, Nenagh, on January 18, 2018.

John Ryan told the court he had done his shopping in Nenagh and was cycling home at around 2.30pm when he was knocked to the ground at the junction of the roundabout on the Borrisokane road.

He had to get a number of stitches to his head, he said.

Garda Liam Hayes said that he received a call about a collision and when he arrived at the scene he found Mr Ryan lying on the ground in the middle of the Dromineer exit of the roundabout.

Mr Ryan was being attended to and the injured party's bicycle was badly damaged and on the nearby footpath.

Garda Hayes said he spoke to Mr Creamer, who admitted he had been driving the vehicle.

"Mr Creamer said he coming from the Borrisokane side and looked in his mirrors. When he looked back the bike was in front of him," Garda Hayes told the court.

Mr Creamer later gave a cautioned statement in Nenagh Garda station in which he said that he was returning from delivering a tyre to a customer.

At the roundabout, he indicated and observed a cyclist on his left.

"I hit the back wheel of the bike. I braked and he was lying awake with cuts to the back of his head. I rang the ambulance," Mr Creamer said in the statement.

In his direct evidence to the court, Mr Creamer said that the cyclist had veered in front of him.

"I couldn't avoid not hitting the cyclist," he said.

He estimated he was travelling at between 10 and 15km/h.

Supt David Nolan told the court that Mr Creamer should have taken greater care as Mr Ryan was in the roundabout first.

Judge Elizabeth MacGrath agreed that it would appear Mr Ryan was in the roundabout first and that Mr Creamer had seen him in the roundabout.

"Where there is a cyclist, you have to take particular care," she said. "At least no one was killed and people can move on."

Judge MacGrath fined Mr Creamer €250 and set recognizance in the event of an appeal in Mr Creamer's own bond of €250.