Postman sentenced over road death

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A postal worker who caused the death of a cyclist by careless driving was given a six months suspended prison sentence on Friday.

Clifford Hopper, 55, was behind the wheel of a Royal Mail vehicle which struck Patrick O'Hara as he travelled to work on the Mallusk Road, Glengormley, Co Antrim in November 2008.

The victim, a 43-year-old security guard from the area, was taken to hospital but died later from internal injuries.

Hopper, of Mahon Court, Portadown, pleaded guilty and was told the jail term would be suspended for two years.

He was also disqualified from driving for a year during a hearing at Belfast Magistrates Court.

District Judge Harry McKibbin said: "One fact remains. A good man has been killed through the careless actions of another good man."

Hopper was coming towards the end of his shift when the fatal accident happened in early morning darkness.

No alcohol was involved, and he stopped immediately after the collision occurred.

He was said to have been travelling at speeds slightly in excess of the 40mph limit, although his lawyer argued this was not an aggravating factor.

Barrister Declan Quinn said his client was fully aware of the devastating impact on the victim's family.

He told the court Hopper, a grandfather involved with the church and gospel music, had an "unblemished" record but has since been moved from driving duties to walking shifts.

Mr Quinn claimed it had been an "inexplicable" collision on the darkest stretch of the road.

"It would appear that a few seconds either way Mr O'Hara having left earlier, or Mr Hopper having left earlier on their respective journeys, we would not have ended up where we are today," he said.

The barrister added that his client still suffers flashbacks and sleeplessness, and wanted to express his sympathy to the victim's family.

He told the court how news of Mr O'Hara's death had died hit Hopper like "a thunderbolt".

"That was totally shocking to Mr Hopper's family because this was a case where Mr O'Hara was conscious and talking at the scene as he was being dealt with by paramedics," he said.

"There's a reference in the reports to Mr Hopper having gone over and put his coat round him."

Passing sentence, Mr McKibbin ruled that the degree of careless involved was low.

He said: "The defendant is still living with the consequences of a momentary lapse of concentration which has cast a large cloud.

"This has been a terribly tragic and sad case for everyone involved - for the defendant but most of all the family of the victim."

Outside the court Mr O'Hara's father, Patrick Snr, declined to comment on the sentence imposed.

But he said the family were happy with how the case had been handled.

"We are pleased with the assistance we got from the police and Public Prosecution Service.

"They deserve a pat on the back, they treated us like human beings."