Sentencing of fatal crash driver delayed because of legal dispute
Abayomi Okanlawon (36) at Wicklow Circuit Court last week. Photo: Darragh McCann
The sentencing of a Nigerian man who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a father of three on the Rath East Road, outside Tullow last October has been delayed until October as a result of the ongoing dispute between solicitors and the minister for justice over legal aid fees.
Abayomi Okanlawon (36) with an address of Irish Bar and Hostel, Church Street, Tullow, appeared before Judge John Martin at Wicklow Circuit Court on Friday 24 July without any legal representation because of the dispute.
At a sitting of the court in June, the matter was adjourned until last week for sentencing, to allow time for the family of the victim, Tommy Cuddihy, to prepare a victim impact statement.
However, with legal practitioners across the country withdrawing services entirely, including the defendant’s solicitor Tertius Van Eeden, the matter was adjourned again last week until the next sitting of Wicklow Circuit Court which begins on 6 October.
A previous court sitting at Carlow District Court heard that on 24 October 2025, Mr Okanlawon was driving a BMW that collided head-on with a Seat Altea travelling in the opposite direction.
The driver of the Seat Altea, Tommy Cuddihy (66) of Kilkenny City, was pronounced dead at the scene, while a passenger — his wife Kay — sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Mr Okanlawon was knocked unconscious by the crash and was admitted to hospital for his injuries.
A court previously heard that the defendant, who has no previous convictions, is an asylum seeker who first entered Ireland in 2024 and is currently residing in an IPAS centre.
The court was told that the deceased had a forward-facing dashcam which recorded the incident, showing the defendant crossing a continuous white line. During an interview with gardaí, Mr Okanlawon made admissions stating that he had seen “the flash of headlights” just before the collision.
Four independent witnesses – two drivers behind each vehicle – provided statements to gardaí at the time of the crash.
