Epileptic driver knocked down teen, leaving him "completely dependent" on family

A Dublin man has been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm to a teenage pedestrian from Donegal. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the court heard that John Maguire, aged 38, struck a young man with his van on Memorial Road, Dublin on 18 March 2017, despite medical advice to refrain from driving for twelve months following an epileptic seizure two months prior. The victim, who had travelled from Letterkenny to attend an event in the city, was crossing at a green pedestrian light when struck. He sustained serious injuries including skull fractures and brain damage, leaving him dependent on family care for the remainder of his life. Maguire pleaded guilty to driving whilst suffering from a condition rendering him a danger to the public. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the sentence whilst acknowledging Maguire's early guilty plea and remorse, but found he bore serious moral culpability for ignoring a known risk. A six-year driving disqualification was also imposed.