Courts / Dublin / Report
Ex-postman with eye disorder has sentence cut for causing death of pedestrian
Summary
David Byrne, a 43‑year‑old former postman from Kilcullen, was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of 70‑year‑old Patricia Dunne in Dublin on 16 October 2015. He also pleaded not guilty to dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service to issue a licence and to making a false statement on an insurance application. A jury found him guilty on all three counts and Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to five years' imprisonment on 11 May 2018. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, reduced the sentence to four years, suspending the final 12 months, citing mitigating factors such as Byrne's exemplary character, good work record and long period of incident‑free driving. The court upheld a lifetime driving disqualification. Byrne suffers from Type 2 Usher Syndrome, a degenerative eye disorder that causes peripheral vision loss. The appeal was rejected, with the court affirming that the trial was fair and the verdict safe.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Ex-postman with eye disorder has sentence cut for causing death of pedestrian. Charges or matters: dangerous driving causing the death of Patricia Dunne (70) at Collins Avenue East, Killester in Dublin on October 16, 2015; dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) to issue him with a driving licence and making a false or misleading statement while taking out insurance. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- October 16, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 11, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2019-12-20 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: dangerous driving causing the death of Patricia Dunne (70) at Collins Avenue East, Killester in Dublin on October 16, 2015; dishonestly inducing the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS) to issue him with a driving licence and making a false or misleading statement while taking out insurance (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He was found guilty by a jury on all three counts and sentenced to five years imprisonment by Judge Patricia Ryan on May 11, 2018. President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham today said there were significant mitigating factors, including Mr Byrne's "exemplary character", excellent work record, and the fact he is "highly unlikely to ever find himself before the courts." He also noted that Mr Byrne had driven without incident for a prolonged period and this "may have lulled him into believing that he could get away with driving." Taking all those factors into account, Mr Justice Birmingham reduced his sentence from five to four years and suspended the final 12 months.
Places mentioned
Topics
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request