A Garda patrol car that careered out of control when travelling at speed and hit an elderly woman waiting at a bus stop may not have been in roadworthy condition, it was claimed at an inquest.
It also emerged that a mix-up resulted in the patrol car being sent to the wrong address of a possible crime scene.
Mary Seavers (74), of Farmhill Park, Goatstown, Dublin, died in Beaumont Hospital on June 15th, 2005, three weeks after the accident in Clonskeagh.
A legal representative for the Seavers family, Doreen Shivnen, told the court two reports from independent engineers contradicted a Garda report that the patrol car was roadworthy.
A report from the public service vehicle inspector, Garda Adrian Tucker, found the patrol car "roadworthy" and in "generally good mechanical condition", Ms Shivnen said. However, two independent reports from engineers "patently contradicted" this and found the tyres in a "worn condition" with the "tyre tread depth 66 per cent below the Ford company's recommended depth", Ms Shivnen said.
As Garda Tucker was not present in court, coroner Dr Brian Farrell said all technical evidence in relation to the inquest would be heard on March 27th.
A Garda mix-up of addresses where youths were believed to be about to break into a car led to the dispatch of a patrol car to Beech Hill Avenue in Clonskeagh instead of Beechwood Avenue in Ranelagh. "Sadly that confusion over address has given rise to this incident. It's ironic to think that if the car was going to the right address on Beechwood Avenue it would not have found itself on the Clonskeagh Road causing this fatality," said Ms Shivnen.
In December, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided that no criminal proceedings should be brought in relation to the death of Ms Seavers.
Witnesses told the court the car appeared to spin out of control when travelling at a speed of up to 113kmph (70mph). Two drivers swerved to avoid colliding with the patrol car, which had crossed to the other side before it struck the bus stop.
Several witnesses said the patrol car was travelling at high speed. Another, Edward Power, said he believed the Garda car was not speeding. After he saw the collision, Andrew Lewis got out of his car and found the driver, Garda Niamh Seberry and front-seat passenger Garda Lisa Healy in a "hysterical" state.