Brian McDonagh sentence cut for dangerous driving causing death

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Brian McDonagh’s sentence for dangerous driving causing death was reduced by the Court of Appeal on 8 July 2016 to eight years’ imprisonment, with the final two years suspended for two years on the usual terms.

At the Circuit Criminal Court in Galway, he pleaded guilty on 7 July 2015 to dangerous driving causing the death of his friend Thomas McDonagh. The fatal incident occurred at Kylemore, Co Galway, on 2 February 2014. The original prison sentence was ten years, with its final two years suspended on the usual terms for five years after release.

Mr. Justice Sheehan delivered the appeal judgment. He found the original sentence excessive when compared with similar cases, and the court upheld the appeal and overturned that sentence. He also questioned whether the psychiatric report had been properly considered and said he did not understand the sentencing judge’s finding that remorse had not been demonstrated in practice.

The court ordered Probation Service supervision during the two years after McDonagh’s release. This was intended to provide the assistance he would need to return to life in the community.