The trial of a woman accused of dangerous driving causing the deaths of four of her friends has heard there was no air in one of her tyres. 

Dayna Kearney from Crossneen, County Carlow, has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing death and knowingly driving a defective vehicle on January 6th 2015. 

Aisling Midleton, Niamh Doyle, Gemma Nolan and Chermain Carroll died almost instantly when the car they were in crashed into a van. 

It happened just before 10pm on what was described as a “relatively new and reasonably straight” stretch of the N78 in Athy, Co. Kildare.

Dayna Kearney bought the 01D VW Polo in May 2014 and only found out after the fatal crash that its NCT was invalid and had actually expired. 

The court heard yesterday she was driving the car on a learner permit with no full-licensed driver in the car with her and without displaying L plates. 

Garda Tony O’Halloran told the jury today that there was no pressure on the rear right hand side tyre when he inspected it the morning after the crash. 

He said the recommended pressure for a rear sided tyre with a full load is 35lbs. 

He concluded the tyre was in poor condition overall and showed signs of wear and deterioration as well as poor maintenance. 

He said the absence of pressure in that tyre, together with a soft tyre on the front left, would have led to a loss of stability and caused the car to yaw.