Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes appears in court charged with dangerous driving

FIVE-TIME All-Ireland winning hurler Kyle Hayes has appeared before Mallow District Court this Tuesday charged with dangerous driving. 

He was remanded on continuing station bail to appear again on September 10 when his barrister will make an application to have the charge reduced to careless driving. 

The 26-year-old of Ballyoshea, Kildimo, was detected by gardaí in Mallow and it's understood he was driving at a speed of more than 150km in a 100km zone on the Cork to Limerick road. 

The offence allegedly happened on Sunday, July 14. 

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given to the court by way of certificate. 

The four-time All Star was represented by barrister Liam Carroll, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan. Mr Carroll told the court his client was willing to enter a plea for careless driving. 

Judge Colm Roberts said there have been a lot of applications to reduce charges before the courts. 

He said: "I'll be hearing the facts first and then I'll make up my mind."

He said that he has a very strong view of what dangerous is and in relation to having charges reduced, that he has “been stung” adding that he’s “once bitten, twice shy". 

The judge said: “The tolerance for dangerous driving is less so and the ease to get it brought down is also less so.” 

Judge Roberts said that he would hear the application to have the charge brought down, but only after he had heard all of the evidence on September 10 when arresting garda Deirdre Barrett will be present.  

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Sergeant Linda O’Leary told the court that they didn’t have DPP “directions to hand today.”

Mr Hayes will appear before Mallow District Court again on September 10 for DPP directions. 

A conviction of dangerous driving can carry with it a fine of up to €5,000 and/or six months in prison. 

Meanwhile, a conviction for careless driving carries with it a fine of up to €5,000 with no prison sentence option.