Guilty sentence 3 years on for driver who hit and killed cyclist before disappearing to Australia

A man who hit and killed a cyclist before skipping the country to live in Australia was yesterday found found guilty of dangerous driving leading to the death.

Shane Fitzgerald was driving his Toyota Land Cruiser near Killarney almost three years ago when he struck and hit father of four Paudie O’Leary near Killarney on July 1st 2012.

The vehicle has never been found, but the following day Fitzgerald left the country for the UK, before travelling on to Australia, where he got a job in the concrete industry.

In 2013 federal agents in Australia questioned him, during which he said he sold his car to fund his trip.

Federal agent David Blockley said Fitzgerald told him it was “immaculate” when he sold it, according to the Irish Times.

But the jury delivered a unanimous verdict after three hours of deliberation at the end of a four-week trial at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee.

They were shown more than three hours of CCTV footage of Fitzgerald drinking in various bars before driving on the day of the collision.

Fitzgerald, who has no previous convictions, has been remanded on bail to April 22nd for sentencing. The maximum sentence is 10 years.