A FERMANAGH woman has changed her plea just as a trial was to begin on charges relating to a road traffic collision last year in which a pregnant mother-of-one was killed and her mother and young daughter were seriously injured.
Emma Josephine Feely (35) from Blackrock Park, Belleek but remanded in custody having voluntarily revoked bail, admitted causing the death of twenty-eight-year-old Valeria Amorim, who was six months pregnant, by dangerous driving.
She is further admitted causing grievous bodily harm to her mother and young daughter also by dangerous driving, as well as driving after consuming excess alcohol, having no driving licence, being an unaccompanied learner driver and having no L Plates displayed.
The incident occurred in the Boa Island Road area of Belleek on February 19 2024.
Standing in the dock of Dungannon Crown Court, Feely wept as she changed pleas and accepted the previously denied charges.
She had already admitted driving after consuming excess alcohol.
A defence barrister previously said the not guilty pleas were entered to allow expert engineering reports to be prepared however it was stressed, “From the acceptance of excess alcohol, it can be taken that there’s no question the defendant was driving the vehicle that sadly struck the deceased. While on the face of it the case looks straightforward, it’s anything but.”
The case was set to be heard as a trial however just ahead of that the defence asked for the charges to be put to Feely again and she accepted all.
Judge Richard Greene ordered pre-sentence reports to be prepared and remanded Feely back into custody.
The defence are also to seek a number of medical reports and sentencing is scheduled to take place in January.
A police officer previously explained Valeria and her mother and daughter were pedestrians when Feely’s car struck them from behind.
Valeria died at the scene while the other victims were badly injured.
When police arrived, Feely admitted she had been drinking earlier in the day and was arrested.
While in custody she provided an evidential breath specimen which returned a reading of 63mcg of alcohol, almost double the legal limit.
Bail was not opposed at the time although the officer voiced concerns around Feely returning to her home address which is close to the victims’ residence and there were “issues in the area”.
However she added a risk assessment had shown while “Tensions are high at present, there is no threat directly at present.”
A defence solicitor said Feely had longstanding issues and expressed concern should she not be permitted to reside in her own home.
While bail was subsequently granted it was on strict terms including an address well away from the home of the victims.
Feely was also banned from contacting a passenger who was traveling with her at the time of the collision and was considered an eye-witness.
Contact with the victims’ family was also banned.
However as the case reached the one year mark a defence barrister informed the court that Feely had “indicated she wishes to have her bail revoked and go into custody.”