Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes appears in Mallow court charged with ...

Mr Hayes’ barrister, Liam Carroll BL, said Mr Hayes was willing to plead guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving. Judge Colm Roberts said that permitting such a change would be “subject to me”.   “I want to hear the evidence,” Judge Roberts said.

He said that he had previously been stung by the “trick” in which people plead guilty to reduce the charge from dangerous to careless driving summarily and “once bitten twice shy”.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not doing that anymore, I’m hearing the facts,” he said. “It’s one of these practices that developed out of trying to speed things up, for good reason, but I think the tolerance for dangerous driving now is less.” 

Although some people may not have a “very clear view” on what dangerous driving is, Judge Roberts said that he “has a very clear view on what dangerous driving is”.  

Sgt Linda O’Leary said that no DPP directions had been given yet and the arresting officer, Garda Deirdre Barrett, was not available today but she would be available to give evidence on September 10.

Judge Roberts adjourned the case until September 10.

He said he would consider Mr Carroll’s application to reduce Mr Hayes’ dangerous driving charge once he had heard the evidence.

The GAA star celebrated his 26th birthday the day before the alleged driving offence occurred near Mallow on the N20 at Lissavoura on July 14.