An inquest into the death of a young boy who was killed when his bicycle was struck by a vehicle in Cork last year has been adjourned pending the outcome of a related criminal case.
André Ladeiro, 8, from Carrigaline, suffered fatal injuries in the incident, which occurred while he was out cycling near his home on August 12, 2023.
The boy died in Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street in Dublin four days later.
André, who was born in Portugal, had been cycling with one of his parents when he was struck by a car on the Cork Road in Carrigaline near the Ballinrea roundabout at around 9.20am.
He was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital before later being transferred to CHI at Temple Street where he was placed in an induced coma.
The boy’s father, César Ladeiro, gave evidence by videolink to a sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Monday of formally identifying his son’s body to gardaí.
The coroner, Cróna Gallagher, said the results of a postmortem confirmed the cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries due to a road traffic collision.
Inspector John McCarthy applied for a six-month adjournment of the inquest under the Coroners Act as an individual had been charged on September 12, 2024, in relation to the fatal incident.
However, Dr Gallagher said the normal procedure in such circumstances was to adjourn an inquest “sine die” (without a day) to allow for the conclusion of related criminal proceedings.
John Moynihan, 61, of Parkanillane, Kilnamartyra, Macroom, Co Cork, was charged at a sitting of Cork District Court last month with dangerous driving causing the death of the boy on August 12, 2023.
The court heard the DPP had directed the accused should face trial by indictment at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Sergeant Gearóid Davis also told Judge Mary Dorgan the DPP consented to a signed guilty plea being entered by the defendant for sentencing.
Mr Moynihan was remanded on bail to appear before Cork District Court again on October 17.
André had moved to live in Ireland in August 2019 and was a pupil at Owenabue Educate Together National School in Carrigaline since the first day the school opened in September 2020.
He is survived by his parents, César and Filipa, and brother, Tomás.
Following his son’s death, Mr Ladeiro issued a plea for motorists driving through Carrigaline to be more careful based on several incidents of dangerous driving he had personally witnessed.
Mr Ladeiro said he had seen more than three cars on different occasions breaking a red light at the location where his son suffered fatal injuries.
Adjourning the inquest to a date to be determined at the conclusion of the proceedings in the criminal courts, Dr Gallagher offered her sympathy to André’s family “on this tragic death.”
