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A Brazilian rickshaw driver accused of causing the death of a County Down mother following a Westlife concert in Dublin remains in custody after failing to secure a court-approved surety for his €20,000 bail. Gabriel Pereira, 37, of Seville Place in Dublin 1, appeared before Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, where Judge Alan Mitchell remanded him in continuing custody with consent to bail pending further directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that Mr Pereira is charged with dangerous driving causing the death of Danielle O'Keane, a 37-year-old mother-of-two from Saval in Newry, County Down. The charge relates to an incident on the night of 26 September 2026 at North Wall Quay in Dublin 1. The accused also faces a second charge of endangering the lives of three other women who were travelling in the rickshaw at the time.
The court previously heard that Ms O'Keane and three friends had taken the rickshaw and were travelling to meet her husband following a Westlife concert. The vehicle is alleged to have been in a cycle lane when a "reckless manoeuvre" was made to merge into traffic, causing the rickshaw to strike a concrete bollard. Ms O'Keane fell beneath the carriage and sustained what were described as catastrophic injuries.
During an earlier hearing, Garda Sergeant Mark O'Neill from Store Street Station gave evidence that Mr Pereira replied, "I don't think I did," when the dangerous driving charge was formally put to him. He made no response to the second charge concerning the other passengers.
Gardaí objected to bail on the grounds of flight risk, citing the fact that the accused had arrived in Ireland only eight days before the incident on a travel visa. Sergeant O'Neill told the court that the man's passport had been seized and that his addresses, both at the time of the incident and his current residence, were known to authorities.
Defence counsel Luke O'Higgins BL, in cross-examination, established that Mr Pereira had attended the Garda station by appointment to be charged. Sergeant O'Neill accepted that the accused had no previous history of bench warrants and that there was no evidence of any prior criminal activity.
Mr O'Higgins stressed that his client enjoys the presumption of innocence and could face a significant period in custody if bail were refused. The defence submitted that no evidence supported the contention that Mr Pereira would fail to appear for trial, noting that he had acted appropriately following the incident by providing his information to gardaí, surrendering his passport, and contacting a solicitor.
Pleading for bail, counsel described the incident as "extremely tragic," submitting that "it is not a case of intent, it is a case of recklessness."
Should Mr Pereira secure the required independent surety, he will be subject to stringent conditions. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands these include a prohibition on driving any motor vehicle, a requirement to reside at his current address, and signing on twice daily at Store Street Garda Station. He must also provide a 24/7 contact phone number, apply for any travel documents, and observe a nightly curfew between 11 pm and 6 am.
Ms O'Keane was transported by ambulance to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital following the collision. Despite the efforts of medical staff, she passed away on 1 October 2026 after spending several days in intensive care. Her funeral was held in Newry, where family and friends gathered to pay their respects to the mother of two young children.
The case has prompted an outpouring of grief in the Newry community, with a GoFundMe page established to support her family. The court heard that Ms O'Keane's husband and young family are devastated by the loss.
Mr Pereira is due to appear again at Cloverhill District Court on 9 December 2026, when it is expected that the Director of Public Prosecutions will have provided further directions regarding the case. Until a bail-person is approved and the surety is secured, the accused will remain in custody.
The tragic death of Danielle O'Keane has also raised questions regarding the regulation of rickshaws in Dublin city centre, a mode of transport that has grown in popularity but remains largely unregulated. The case continues to draw significant attention as the legal process unfolds.
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