A Co Down lorry driver has admitted causing the death of a cyclist by passing too close to him.
On the second day of the trial at Newry Crown Court, defence KC John Kearney asked for the single count to be put to Neil James McVeigh again and the 36-year-old admitted causing the death of Martin Poland by careless driving.
He had been on trial facing the more serious accusation of death by dangerous driving but prosecuting KC Samuel Magee confirmed the pleas to careless driving was acceptable to the prosecution.
The jury, who were directed by trial Judge Gordon Kerr KC to enter a verdict of guilty by confession, heard how 54-year-old keen cyclist Mr Poland was cycling along the Annalong Road in Kilkeel on 13 September, 2020 when the articulated lorry being driven by McVeigh overtook him in a "perilous manoeuvre".
According to the Crown case, while there was no evidence of actual contact between the bike and the lorry, the father-of-one was thrown over the handlebars when the lorry passed by him at a distance of around 20 inches.
Mr Magee had outlined how Mr Poland, who had been wearing a helmet and high vis vest, sustained a fractured skull as well as brain bruising and laceration and sadly, he passed away five days after the accident.
McVeigh, from Ballykeel Court in Ballymartin, had collected the articulated lorry and trailer at Kilkeel harbour that morning but when he was spoken to by police, he said he was not aware of any accident.
By his plea, witnessed by Mr Poland's grieving relatives who were in the public gallery, he has accepted that his driving fell below the standard of driving expected from a careful and competent driver.
Following McVeigh’s admission, Judge Kerr adjourned the case for a pre-sentence probation report and although he freed him on bail until 21 February, he warned McVeigh given the facts of the case, he is "likely to be looking at a custodial sentence".
