2021-07-15
Driver given community service for causing serious harm will be jailed after appeal
Stage: Appeal
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: However, on hearing the victim impact statement of the young student, he said he would order Conneely to perform 240 hours of community service in lieu of the four years. "In the absence of the charitable attitude of the principal injured party I would have been reluctant to suspend any part of the sentence," he remarked. "I'm mindful that justice must be viewed through the prism of the victims, not just the public," he added. Justice Birmingham, who sat with Justice Patrick McCarthy and Justice Isobel Kennedy, then re-sentenced him to four years in prison, but suspended the final three.