by Andrew Carey
THE TRIAL of a Limerick man charged with slashing his friend’s neck over a minor road traffic collision 14 years ago has opened at Limerick Circuit Court.
Alan Boohan (34) of Glenogra, Fedamore denies assaulting Eoghan O’Callaghan of Enaghroe, Fedamore and causing him serious harm on September 23/24, 2001.
The incident arose when Mr Boohan asked Mr O’Callaghan to drive his car home from a party in Bulgaden Castle because he had too much to drink. A number of other people were in the group with the two men.
Although he had five or six pints, Mr O’Callaghan said he agreed to drive the car as the group he was with were unable to get a taxi home. During the journey he reversed into a parked car in Fedamore after he missed a turn, causing around €2,500 damage.
He said he felt something in his neck as he drove less than half a mile to the hurling field.
There were others in the car and they all got out after Alan Boohan told them to do so. He then moved into the driver seat and drove off in the direction of Fedamore.
One of the girls with Eoghan O’Callaghan said that she noticed a lot of blood coming from a wound on the right side of his neck.
She said he “was losing a lot of blood” and friends brought him to the emergency department at the Regional Hospital where he had 37 internal staples and six external stitches applied.
“This is a court of law and we must see the result”, Mr O’Sullivan said as he asked Mr O’Callaghan to show the scar to Judge Tom O’Donnell and the jury.
Asked who caused the wound, he replied “Alan Boohan”.
Questioned by defence counsel Brian McInerney, Mr O’Callaghan agreed he was over the limit but was driving slowly. He missed the turn as he didn’t notice it and was reversing back when he crashed into the parked car.
Mr McInerney BL asked Mr O’Callaghan if he left his details with the owner of the car he “ploughed into” and if this was the “start of his hit and run career”.
The court was told that Eoghan O’Callaghan court convictions for drink driving, hit and run as well as a conviction in 2006 for dangerous driving causing the death of Jason Nash, who was a passenger in a car O’Callaghan was driving while drunk. He served 27 months of a three year prison sentence for that conviction.
The jury was also told that he didn’t make a complaint to Gardaí until August 2002.
The trial is expected to continue for the remainder of the week.
