GAA commentator and retired teacher Paudie Palmer died of traumatic brain, spinal cord and thoracic injuries arising out of a road traffic collision which occurred four days after Christmas in 2022, a trial has heard.
Bohdan Bezverkhyi, who is a native of Ukraine but has an address at Rigsdale House in Ballinhassig, Co Cork, denies dangerous driving causing the death of Paudie Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Cork on 29 December 2022.
The trial got under way at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
Today Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the jury of seven women and five men that prior to the post-mortem examination, she was informed that Mr Palmer died of injuries he sustained following a high-speed road traffic collision.
Dr Bolster said that Mr Palmer suffered a traumatic brain injury which included bleeding to his brain and breeding to the membrane under his brain.
She said that he also sustained a traumatic axonal injury. This is a tearing of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibres which occurs when the brain is injured.
The court heard that Mr Palmer, who was originally from Co Kerry, was admitted to Cork University Hospital on the day of the incident. However, he died from his injuries on 8 January 2023. The post-mortem examination was carried out the following day.
Dr Bolster said Mr Palmer suffered a “multi compartmental brain injury” and had signs of medical intervention at postmortem. The court heard that he had sustained blunt force trauma in the crash.
Dr Bolster indicated that the cause of death was “traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries with thoracic injuries due to a road traffic collision.”
Defence counsel Seamus Roche put it to Dr Bolster that Mr Palmer was not wearing a seat belt when the crash occurred. Dr Bolster said that this would have led to an “increased vulnerability” for Mr Palmer.
“He had very significant blunt force trauma to his head.”
The case is continuing tomorrow. The 33-year-old accused is being assisted in court by an interpreter.
Mr Palmer was a native of Kenmare in Co Kerry, and lived in Innishannon in Co Cork.
