A man has admitted to causing the death of a nine-year-old boy in Bundoran.
Sergee Kelly has signed a guilty plea to four charges in connection with a fatal road traffic collision, where Ronan Wilson (9), from Kildress in County Tyrone, was killed last September.
Kelly, who appeared before Judge Ciaran Liddy at Ballyshannon District Court on Friday afternoon and faces charges that include dangerous driving causing death will now go before Donegal Circuit Court.
The State Solicitor for Donegal, Mr Kieran Dillon, told the court that a signed plea had been handed in.
Kelly, a 23-year-old with an address at Upper Mullaghmore, County Sligo, was accompanied by his parents to court.
Asked by Judge Liddy to confirm that it was his signature on the document, Kelly said: “I can of course, your honour.”
Mr Dillon said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has consented to Kelly being returned on a signed plea to the next sitting of Donegal Circuit Court.
Judge Liddy granted legal aid to Kelly’s solicitor, Mr Gerry McGovern, and assigned two legal counsel in the matter.
Judge Liddy administered the alibi warning and made a section 56 order relating to tapes of interviews.
Kelly has signed a guilty plea to a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Ronan Wilson on September 23, 2023 at Atlantic Way, Bundoran.
The charge is contrary to Section 53 (1) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961 as substituted by Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act (No. 2) Act, 2011.
When charged with the offence in early April, Kelly replied: ‘No’
A charge of dangerous driving causing death carries a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
The signed plea also covers a charge of having been the driver of a vehicle, which was involved in the occurrence of injury to Ronan Wilson, did fail to offer said person assistance.
He has also signed pleas to charges of failing to stop and with failing to remain at the scene after the incident, which occurred at around 9.20pm in the south Donegal town.
In April, bail was only granted to Kelly by Judge Monika Leech after a €10,000 cash lodgement was made.
An application for Kelly’s bail conditions to be varied in order to enable work at sea on a fishing trawler was previously withdrawn.
Inspector Angela Cummins told a previous court hearing that this is a ‘complex investigation’.
Under the terms of his bail, Kelly is prohibited from entering Bundoran, save for agreed appointments with his doctor, and has also been ordered to stay out of Northern Ireland.
Last week, Kelly was brought before Sligo District Court for an alleged breach of his bail conditions. The court was informed that Kelly went to Bundoran “to borrow a suit”, but no charge arose out of the matter.
Bail was granted to Kelly on the same, existing terms.