Retrial on motorbike death charge

Last week a jury of eight women and four men failed to reach a verdict in the Dungannon Crown Court trial of Joseph Keenan, from Lawnakilla Park in Enniskillen.

He denies causing the death of motorcyclist Brian Lynch by driving carelessly on the main A4 road between Lisbellaw and Tamlaght on November 15, 2014.

His two-day trial had heard that he told police he did not recall looking over his shoulder “at any stage” before pulling out to overtake a car and colliding with Mr Lynch’s motorbike.

Keenan, a local football manager returning home to Enniskillen after a match at the time of the fatal crash, told his trial that in his view, Mr Lynch “was coming too hard and had two choices: to run into the back of me or to come down the side of me”.

The court also heard that in his interview with police Keenan said he “got the shock of his life” when he saw Mr Lynch on his motorcycle “wobbling”, by the side of his Vauxhall Vectra car.

A witness told the court that Mr Lynch’s motorcycle had passed him at an “average speed ... it wasn’t like a rocket or anything”.

The retrial is due to take place on June 19.