GUILTY VERDICT | 

Man convicted of dangerous driving causing death of GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer

The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after over five hours of deliberations following a two week trial.

Today at 16:40

A MAN who sent text messages to a number of relatives and friends saying that he left the scene of a serious accident and had been drinking has been convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of a respected Gaelic games broadcaster.

Bohdan Bezverkhyi (33), a native of Ukraine but with an address at Rigsdale House in Ballinhassig, Co Cork, had denied before Cork Circuit Criminal Court a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of sports commentator Paudie Palmer (65).

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

Mr Palmer, who was from Kerry, was an award-winning broadcaster and one of the most respected sports journalists in the south.

He was involved in GAA coverage for Cork radio stations 96FM and C103FM for decades and was hailed as the voice of Cork sport.

The late Mr Palmer was also an uncle of Claudine Keane, a former model and wife of former Irish football international Robbie Keane.

Claudine’s father, Denis, is a brother of Mr Palmer.

The family originally hailed from Templenoe in Kerry but Mr Palmer spent most of his broadcast career based in Cork.

Bezverkhyi’s trial opened before Cork Circuit Criminal Court last week and a jury of seven women and five men convicted him on the charge today.

The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after over five hours of deliberations following a two week trial.

Judge Jonathan Dunphy paid tribute to the jury for their dedication and attention to detail in the case.

He said via text that he was “blaming” himself and when asked by a friend why he hadn’t gone to the police he replied “because I am not sober”.

Bezverkhyi also exchanged text messages with his mother in which he said that he would hand himself to Gardaí the following day.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 33-year-old defendant was assisted in court by 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 family noted to mourners he had gotten to spend Christmas with his adored first grandchild, Lucas Padraig.