Hit and run tragedy

Jonathan Heagney, who was originally from Carrickmore, was knocked down as he walked along the road. Gardaí investigating the fatal hit and run arrested a 21-year-old man on Sunday night in the Kilmainhamwood area. Man remanded Kelvan Blaney, (21), Eden, Kilmainhamwood, Kells appeared at a special sitting of Cavan District Court on Monday night before Judge Cormac Dunne on charges relating to the accident. He was charged with being the driver of a vehicle at Cormey, Kingscourt on October 25 last, which was involved in an occurrence, namely injury to Jonathan Heagney, and failing to stop his vehicle. He is also charged with failing to report the accident, failing to give appropriate information on demand and failing to keep the vehicle at the scene. Sgt. Kevin Gavigan told the court that when arrested, Mr. Blaney replied 'no comment' to the first charge and replied 'no' to the others. Superintendent Noel Cunningham told Judge Cormac Dunne that the State was seeking a remand to Bailieboro District Court on November 21. 'We have no objection to bail but would be looking for certain conditions, as more serious charges may emanate at the directions of the DPP in this case.' The conditions included that the accused would sign on three days a week at Ardee Garda Station. The defendant"s solicitor Paul Carolan said he worked in Ardee and had been in full-time employment there for 18 months. 'He is rooted in the community and is accompanied here tonight by his mother and father.' He said he had been put in funds in the sum of €1,000 and his mother was making herself available as the independent sureter. Judge Cormac Dunne remanded Mr. Blaney in custody with consent to bail, in his own bond of €500, a surety of €3,000, with a lodgement of €1,000 in cash to appear at Bailieborough District Court on November 21 for mention. Judge Dunne also stipulated that Mr. Blaney must surrender his passport and undertake not to apply for a passport renewal. The accused took up his bail at the end of the court hearing. This week, the mother of the deceased road accident victim, Pauline, described Jonathan as a 'dream son', who never gave her a day"s bother. A Garda spokesman said that the deceased was not reported missing until approximately 11.30am Saturday morning and the gardaí had located his body shortly before 2pm. Acting on good assistance from the public, the gardaí got a search warrant and proceeded to search a location, where they found a car and arrested a man. Jonathan Heagney had been attending a wedding in a local hotel with his wife Elaine and friends and appears to have been walking between the B&B where they were staying and the hotel when the accident happened. A postmortem examination was carried out in Navan Hospital on Sunday. Mr. Heagney worked as a plasterer and was well known in the Carrickmore area for his love of pony and track racing, in which he regularly competed.