Man who drove carelessly when he struck a motorcyclist avoids jail

By Declan Brennan

A construction worker who admitted driving carelessly when he drove into a motorcyclist on a Dublin street has received a fully suspended sentence.

Nsa Okpo (53) was turning right at a junction in the city centre when his car drove across the path of the motorcyclist who was travelling in the opposite direction. Both drivers had the green light to proceed ahead but Judge Pauline Codd said that on the evening of July 11, 2013 Okpo had failed to keep an adequate look out for the motorcyclist.

She also noted that he was uninsured at the time and was also serving the suspended portion of a sentence.

The victim Michael Sorahan told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he was propelled through the air by the crash. He said the bones of his ankle were crushed by one of the bike’s pedals and his foot “burst open like a tomato”.

He said he endured extreme to excruciating levels of pain over the weeks that followed and was told he would never have a normal ankle. A year later he was still undergoing surgery and was told he would never run again.

Okpo of Bridgefoot court, Dublin was charged with dangerous driving causing serious harm to Mr Sorahan at Gardiner St Lower, Dublin on July 11, 2013. He had pleaded not guilty to this offence and went on trial last November.

During the trial Judge Codd withdrew the charge from the jury and Okpo entered a guilty plea to the second count of careless driving causing serious harm.

Reading from his own victim impact report Mr Sorahan said he went from being an accomplished athlete – including representing Ireland at Taekwondo – to a patient needing assistance.

“My hopes of high-level sporting achievements commensurate with my age have evaporated.

“I went from being fiercely independent to relying on others. I have not known a day without pain. I will never play with my children as actively as my father played with me,” he said.
He said he was ashamed that his mother spent her last years of life looking after him when he had previously been active looking after her. He said his sleeping patterns are still affected.

He said he had always prided himself as being a careful motorcyclist who wore high visibility clothing and sat tall on the bike. He said he didn’t drive “for thrills and spills” but as a practical solution to the problem of transport.

The court heard that Okpo’s previous convictions include some assault, drugs offences and road traffic offending. After the 2013 crash he travelled to the UK for work and was involved in a violent incident and received an eight-year prison sentence for causing grievous bodily harm.

He was extradited back here in late 2019.

Seamus Clarke SC, defending, told the court that his client’s previous offending arose from a difficult period of his life when he was using drugs after a crime free life.

Judge Codd said that aggravating factor was that Okpo should not have been on the road at the time as he was uninsured. She said the carelessness came from his “not keeping an adequate look out” and not “having due regard” for oncoming traffic as he made the right turn.

She noted there was no evidence of speed, alcohol or drugs and CCTV footage showed Okpo slowed down when approaching the junction before driving into the path of motorbike.

“He didn’t seem to apply his mind to presence of motorcyclists,” and she noted motorcyclists suffer greater harm during a collision with a car.

“Motorcyclists and cyclists are in particular danger when drivers do not stop to take a second look with often very tragic circumstances,” she said, noting the life changing injuries in this case.

She noted that the defendant had lived a law-abiding life up to his 30s and that he had stayed at the scene of the collision and co-operated with gardaí.

Judge Codd suspended a one-year prison term and disqualified Okpo from driving for six years.