Karl Leonard was running on a footpath shared with cyclists near Swords, Co Dublin, when an e-bike “came speeding around the corner” knocking him to the ground in a catastrophic collision.
His injuries – for a time it looked like he might lose his foot – were so extensive that a nine-hour operation was required.
The e-bike was being driven by Stephen Dunne and with the Garda taking no action, Leonard, a 48-year-old professional dog walker felt he had no option but to initiate a criminal court case.
It’s an unusual step but one that paid off when Dunne, who the court heard was genuinely remorseful, was fined €250 after pleading guilty to careless driving.
Man sentenced to life for murder of retiree who gave both him and mother shelter
Taoiseach tells Apple chief Ireland will cut ‘regulatory burden’ facing businesses
Questioning of suspect (50s) arrested by gardaí investigating murder of Michael Gaine continues
Ireland to open 2026 Six Nations campaign against France on a Thursday night
Leonard successfully claimed the specifications of Dunne’s e-bike, including having a 750W brushless motor and maximum speed of 20-25km/h, made it an MPV.
The significance of being a vehicle or MPV means the user is required to be insured.
Leonard will now pursue a claim against the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) arguing that as Dunne was not insured while driving the powerful e-bike, the incident should be covered by the MIBI which compensates in the case of uninsured drivers involved in accidents.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan.
