West Mayo supermarket company to be sentenced over death of pedestrian
Westport retail company, Kavanagh Retailing to be sentenced next month for breach of health and safety following death of woman hit by a lorry in the SuperValu carpark
A West Mayo retail company is expected to be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to breaching statutory health and safety obligations following the death of a woman in Westport who died after she was hit by a delivery lorry in the supermarket carpark.
Noel Kavanagh representing Kavanagh Retailing Unlimited Company with an address at Shop Street, Westport appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court where he entered guilty pleas to five counts of breaching the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act following an investigation into the death of Westport woman Maureen Hopkins on June 6, 2024 in the SuperValu carpark in Westport.
Following the guilty plea, Judge Eoin Garavan adjourned the case for sentencing on Friday, November 6.
Following the investigation into the death of Ms Hopkins in 2024, Kavanagh Retailing Unlimited Company were charged with breaches of health and safety and the Director of Public Prosecutions directed trial on indictment in the Circuit Court.
When the matter came before Castlebar District Court in May, the company indicated they were entering a signed plea of guilty on all charges and were sent forward to the Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. Sentencing was due to take place in July but the matter was adjourned to October due to the legal aid dispute.
In March, lorry driver Mihail Tanasevici (43) of Woodford Road, Clondalkin, Dublin was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to careless driving causing the death of Maureen Hopkins on June 6, 2024 in the SuperValu carpark in Westport.
The sentencing in Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court heard that Mrs Hopkins, of Rosmoney, Carrowholly, Westport had parked her car in SuperValu carpark and approached the back entrance to the shop.
Mr Tanasevici had arrived in his white Mercedes rigid truck truck after travelling from Dublin to a warehouse in Ballina and was dropping off product. He was reversing his truck into the SuperValu carpark from the public road when he realised he had to let a car out of a parking space. He moved the truck backward to allow this to occur. The same thing occurred again with another car and as he moved forward he hit Mrs Hopkins with the left front side of the vehicle.
The court also heard that there was no designated loading bay in the SuperValu carpark at the time.