Courts / Dublin / Report
Epileptic driver knocked down teen, leaving him "completely dependent" on family
Summary
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.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Epileptic driver knocked down teen, leaving him "completely dependent" on family. Charges or matters: dangerous driving causing serious harm to Mr Sweeney at Memorial Road, Dublin on March 18, 2017; driving while suffering from a disease or mental disability which would render him a danger to the public. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 18, 2017 Other
- January 2016 Incident
- December 2016 Incident
- January 2017 Incident
- 2018-07-25 Publication
Why: He said inattention was a human failure, but Maguire had a moral culpability because he drove knowing he was epileptic. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: dangerous driving causing serious harm to Mr Sweeney at Memorial Road, Dublin on March 18, 2017; driving while suffering from a disease or mental disability which would render him a danger to the public (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: The judge jailed Maguire for three and a half years out of a maximum ten year prison term and disqualified him from driving for six years. The judge commented that if this had been "a simple mistake of inattention" while driving, then Maguire would not have faced a custodial sentence.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Kerlogue Road
- Letterkenny
- Donegal
- Memorial Road
- Dublin
Topics
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