Man charged in connection with deaths of Gilmore children on N17

A TUAM man has been charged in connection with the deaths of the two Gilmore children who died on the Milltown Road last October after being struck by the car he was driving. There was a large media presence for the brief hearing at Tuam Court and the case is expected to be covered extensively when it is heard in the Circuit Court later in the year. John Oâ€â„¢Connor (41) of 5, Waterslade Downs, Tullinadaly Road, Tuam faces a number of charges in relation to incidents which occurred shortly before 1 pm on Sunday, October 21.[private] He appeared before Judge Geoffrey Browne on Tuesday and was remanded to the May 28 sitting of Tuam Court where he will be served with a book of evidence before being sent forward for trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court. The most serious charge Oâ€â„¢Connor faces is one of dangerous driving causing the deaths of two-year-old Kate Gilmore and her baby sister Grace. Oâ€â„¢Connor is also charged with dangerous driving at another location on the N17 in Tuam that occurred minutes before the collision which resulted in the deaths of the children and the injury of their father, John Gilmore. Another charge relates to a hit and run incident minutes before the fatal collision. He is charged with damaging the car of Michael Connolly in this incident. A further charge is in relation to allegedly making a false declaration to obtain a driving licence. It reads: â€Å“Did dishonestly obtain by deception a driving licence and never declared that he suffered epileptic seizures.â€Â A separate charge reads that Oâ€â„¢Connor â€Å“did intentionally or recklessly drive a vehicle while suffering an epileptic seizure and create a substantial risk of death to others.â€Â Oâ€â„¢Connorâ€â„¢s first appearance was at a sitting of Tuam Civil Court on Wednesday of last week (April 17) and he was remanded on bail until yesterdayâ€â„¢s (Tuesdayâ€â„¢s) sitting of Tuam District Court. It is not known why he was brought before the Civil Court on a criminal charge and the Gardai gave no notice to the press (as would be expected in such a high-profile case) of his first appearance. The defendant was arrested by arrangement at Tuam Garda Station before last Wednesdayâ€â„¢s Civil Court and taken from there to Tuam Courthouse where the charges were outlined.[/private]