Solicitors’ dispute delays sentencing of driver in fatal Tullow crash

A NIGERIAN man who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of a Kilkenny father of three near Tullow in October 2025 will not be sentenced until February 2027 due to the ongoing dispute between solicitors and the Minister for Justice.

Abayomi Okanlawon (36), who resides in IPAS accommodation in County Carlow, appeared before Judge Patrick Quinn at Wicklow Circuit Court on Tuesday 6 October without any legal representation because of the dispute.

As a result, Judge Quinn adjourned the matter until 9 February 2027, when a number of cases impacted by the dispute will be heard in an attempt to clear the backlog.

This is the second time the sentencing date has been pushed back due to the dispute.

At a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Court in June, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin adjourned the matter until 23 July for sentencing, to allow time for the family of the victim, Mr Tommy Cuddihy, to prepare a victim impact statement.

However, on 24 July, as solicitors across the country withdrew services, including the defendant's solicitor Tertius Van Eeden, Judge John Martin adjourned it again until 6 October.

Criminal defence solicitors have been in dispute with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan since June, when the new legal aid fee structure was introduced.

The new structure provides a flat fee payment of €520 for solicitors handling criminal legal aid cases, no matter how many times the case is heard in court.

Under the previous system, a solicitor was paid for each court appearance, starting at €239.39 for the first appearance and then €59.86 for each subsequent appearance.

Solicitors say that the new system does not take into account complicated cases where multiple court appearances are necessary.

Currently, solicitors are acting only in cases where a defendant is in custody, or where juveniles are involved.

Carlow District Court previously heard that on 24 October 2025, Mr Okanlawon was driving a BMW on the Rath East Road, outside Tullow, when it collided head-on with a Seat Altea travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Seat, Mr Tommy Cuddihy (66) of Kilkenny City, Co Kilkenny, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife, Kay, who was a passenger, 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.