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Fined after death crash lies
Page 19
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A COUNTY ANTRIM haulier has been fined £10,000 for attempting to pervert the course of justice after he lied about a faulty truck he owned which ploughed into a minibus and killed three people.
Last November William Ilegarty stood trial for the manslaughter of the three in Toomebridge on 29 November 2001. But the trial was aborted after he was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the dock (CM 25 November 2004).
Hegarty admitted three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Ballymena Crown Court heard that he had lied to police three times about giving a driver the keys to a truck with no foot brake. Defence QC Patrick Lyttle said: -Initially he told a lie and once set on the treadmill of telling a lie he could not get off, but ultimately gave a true and truthful version of what happened." Hegarty was remorseful for having lied, Lyttle added, and apologised for any further pain his actions had caused the victims' families Mr Justice Higgins said that "quite contrary" to defence claims that Hegarty was attempting to protect the driver and was distressed after witnessing the carnage, police reported he was "calm and appeared to be unaffected" when they spoke to him.
Hegarty will not face a trial for manslaughter due to ill health.