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A 24-YEAR-old man who had been detained in relation to a hit and run in the Phoenix Park on Monday that killed a two-year-old girl has been released without charge.
Two year old Venessa Siatka was struck by the car on the North Road in the Phoenix Park. She was rushed to Temple Street Children’s Hospital but was pronounced dead in the early hours of yesterday morning.
A 24-year-old was arrested shortly after the incident and was held until the early hours of this morning. Gardaí confirmed this morning that the man was released without charge.
They said a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Yesterday, investigators said they are interested in hearing from anyone who saw a green Toyota Corolla with an 02 D registration being driven “erratically” in the area, in particular near the park’s Visitors’ Centre.
Anyone who witnessed the incident can contact Cabra Garda Station on 01 666 7400, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
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A file is being prepared? That means a trial is probably pending. He isn’t a danger to the general public that’s why he is being released.
Why do people assume this means he gets away with it?!
It’s because of the headline Deirdre, it doesnt mention the preparation of a file by the dpp until the fourth paragraph in. I think the headline may be deliberately written that way to get people to think he will not be charged and so read the article but I could be wrong.
By and large the ordinary man on the street doesn’t know much about how the legal system works unless they have studied it and even then it’s still bloody complicated. It is up to the senior Garda in station to decide if the charge and circumstances are serious enough to charge and hold a prisoner to be brought before the first available sitting of a court. There are guidelines for this and the Gardai involved are all very well qualified in the area.
If we held every prisoner until the DPP made up their minds then our holding cells would be over flowing and the system would break down,
Thanks for following the explainer Brian, I couldn’t understand why the guy had been released.
Sorry don’t know where “following” came from.
Louise I have sat in court at times and wondered why some people have been released! A basic understanding of the law should be taught at school if it isn’t already.
Deirdre- Read back your comment and tell the parents of the child he killed that he is not a danger!!
How do you know he’s a danger? Have you the facts of the case? The only fact you do know is the tragic death of the girl. the facts will determine whether it was an accident, who was at fault, and whether the guy is a danger.
It was an accident. It was however avoidable and caused by the reckless nature of the driving. He also left the scene. If he’s not a danger, he’s at least at risk of absconding, he’s proved that himself.
Jordan- If driving erratically whilst being drunk in the park outside the visitor centre and the Zoo ISNT a danger, then tell me what is??
When did his erratic driving turn from a second hand newspaper report into a fact?
And he was drunk? Is that a fact? Did you read his charge sheet and were privy to his discussion with the gards?
Did the gards charge him with drink driving?
Deal in facts. Not heresay. Maybe he was drunk. Maybe he was driving erratically. But youve got the fella hung before that becomes fact. Youre the danger here.
He was driving erratically, that’s a fact that I know.
This is hard to fathom, he was involved in an accident that caused death, left the scene…handed himself in and doesn’t even get charged with leaving the scene?
Well they say a file is being prepared for the DPP so I’d imagine a charge is coming.
Why is he not remanded? He’s fled the scene once already. Doesn’t exactly inspire great faith in him doing the right thing.
They can only hold him for a certain period without charging him and they need the ddp to issue instructions to do that.
Welcome to Irish systems……
Maybe they had the wrong guy. Might have fit the description but could be that it wasn’t him. Remains to be seen I suppose.
The driver did hand himself in after the accident and if he has no significant criminal record he’d get bail anyway even if Gardai charged him and applied to remand him in custody. There is a very high likelihood that he will get a prison sentence for dangerous driving causing death. One of the few offences in this country where, if convicted, you are going to jail. Tragic for that family of the child but also for that young man, he could well be a decent skin who made a major mistake.
He isn’t.
You know it probably WAS an accident, but he did himself no favours in driving away.
I doubt there is any ‘probably’ about it. I doubt he was driving around targeting children. Tragic for everyone involved in my opinion
I still don’t understand how the child got onto the road in the first place. Where were the parents. God bless the poor child and her family but also god bless the poor person who hit the child. Total accident I think.
I don’t think that is a fair comment. A toddler can dart off in the blink of an eye. That poor child’s parents are devastated and to try lay blame at their feet is wrong. I would think that they are suffering enough without questioning whether they were watching their little girl.
Shannon it only takes a split second for an accident like that to occur. Toddlers trip and fall very easily and can take a step too far, that’s all it takes for tragedies to happen. You don’t know the circumstances so passing such judgement against parents that are grieving is wrong.
Maybe it was an accident? Up to dpp to decide if it will go to court and on what charge. This is a tragedy but hard to know if it was criminal in the facts I have read. Maybe I am missing something.
Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime.
Odd?!
He hands himself in
Next with legal representative he gives account of what actually happened
Gardai try to question or extract actual evidence from the accused, gardai have a file and ask the dpp for direction and severity of charges to be applied
Also gardai looking for an actual witness
I can say this chap is going to have the book lobbed at him
Very sad for the family of the little girl.
Typical irish law he ll get a slap on the wrist
This all revolves around causation. The child cannot be held responsible. Mention is made of the car being driven “erratically”. Who witnessed the erratic driving prior to the accident? If the child collided with the side of the car the driver may not have been aware that he had been in an accident, thus might not have been aware that he was “leaving the scene”. Of course if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs well that’s another factor. The DPP will decide whether or not to charge and what the charge may be. All we can do is wait and sympathise with the parents of the child.
A lot of emotionally driven posts here and naturally so.. However, we must have the full facts of this incident before we rush to judgement. God love that poor child and family, may he RIP.
He may not have realised that he collided with the child whatsoever. God bless that wee angel, her family and the lad that hit her. Such a sad tragic story.
I’m confused. The article said he was released “without charge” though some of the comments here say he handed himself over to the Gardai voluntarily. Now they’re saying “a file is being prepared for the DPP”. Handing himself in is surely an admission of guilt so how can he be released “without charge”? Surely, as somebody suggested earlier, he should have been charged and then, because he has no previous criminal convictions, released on bail?
That’s the way it works , the gardai send the file to the DPP and then they’ll decide the charge . nothing weird or strange going on . the guy has made it worse for himself by leaving the scene .
Gardi are only allowed to decide certain charges themselves, usually for more minor offences. Anything serious must have a file prepared that will be sent to the DPP who then decides what charges, if any, are to be used.
“Handing himself in is a sign of guilt” that’s brilliant. We can now do away with our costly courts system, you’ve just saved the country millions, nice one.
I said “admission of guilt” Matt not a “sign of guilt”. I’m not very familiar with how the system works hence my reason for asking. There is no need to be such a sarcastic fu(king smart ass. Other people have replied explaining how the “system” works, which I appreciated, without feeling the need to be such a sarcastic dick head like you did.
Files to the DPP have become the norm as Gardaí were getting reprimanded by GSOC when cases failed. So now they refer all cases to the DPP for a decision.
Rip sweet little baba x
In Ireland the biggest threat to all kind of criminals that is likely ever going to happen is that file is being prepared to dpp. All the crooks must tremble at the sheer sound of this word I’d say.
Is have waited outside for him and get my own justice
Dat’s grand. I must be watching too much TV. In most civilised jurisdictions fleeing the scene of an accident is an offence in itself – but this must not be the case in this Great Little Island to do Business In.
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