A Zimbabwean man who “panicked” after a high-speed crash left nearly 1,200 homes and businesses in County Monaghan without power has been disqualified from driving and fined, a court has heard.
Thirty-five-year-old Tennyson Dube, an international protection applicant living at the M Hotel in Carrickmacross, fled the scene on foot after his car crashed into an ESB pole on Kingscourt Road, Mullanarry, on 30 November 2024. The impact brought down the pole and several phone lines, plunging approximately 1,158 properties into darkness for several hours. ESB later confirmed repair costs of almost €60,000.
Dube’s silver Opel Insignia was travelling at such speed that the pole collapsed onto the road. When gardaí arrived shortly before 11.30pm, Sergeant Lisa McEntee said they found a woman — Dube’s front-seat passenger — injured and trying to flag down officers amid fallen wiring. She later received hospital treatment where doctors confirmed she had suffered a fractured rib.
At the scene, gardaí noted the vehicle displayed no tax or insurance disc. The passenger, disoriented and in pain, told officers the driver had run off immediately after the crash and that she believed he lived at the hotel used to house protection applicants.
Dube returned to the hotel and the next day provided a voluntary cautioned statement in which he admitted responsibility. He later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
Defence solicitor Niall Fox told Monaghan District Court that his client had “panicked” and made a “silly decision” to flee. Dube, a father of two and a provisional licence holder, had bought the car only days before and had not insured it. He had been driving to collect a friend and the injured woman, who had just arrived by bus.
Mr Fox said Dube accepted he had been driving at an excessive speed and fully cooperated with the investigation. He stressed that Dube had six years’ driving experience in Zimbabwe before arriving in Ireland two years ago and had been candid with gardaí throughout.
He also acknowledged that the case would have “an inevitable impact” on Dube’s ongoing application for international protection, appealing to the court not to impose a jail sentence.
Judge John Brennan said the accused had been “very unfortunate” but emphasised that his actions resulted in “the whole power of Carrickmacross” being shut down. He also underscored the seriousness of leaving an injured passenger behind.
Dube was banned from driving for two years and fined €300 for dangerous driving, with a further €300 imposed under Section 106 of the Road Traffic Act.
Source: Sunday World
