2016-06-24
Dangerous driver has "unusually severe" sentence cut
Stage: Appeal
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; O'Donovan successfully appealed his sentence today with the Court of Appeal deeming it "unduly severe" and finding that the Circuit Court erred in treating his defence as an aggravating factor. Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice John Edwards and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, imposed a five year sentence with the final year suspended in order to incentivise rehabilitation.