Courts / Wexford / Report

Student driver has jail term cut for seriously injuring dog walker

Date
2020-07-24

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Gorey

County
Wexford

Summary

Chloe Bates, a 21‑year‑old student from Summerfield, Ballycale, Gorey, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for careless driving that seriously injured Pamela Levingston, a woman in her 60s, while she was walking her dogs on a country road near Millands, Gorey, on 28 May 2018. Levingston was thrown over a ditch, suffered heart injuries requiring stents, fractures to her legs, arms, ribs and breastbone, and required emergency surgery and five months in hospital. Bates also received a four‑month concurrent sentence for hit‑and‑run. On appeal, the Court of Appeal found the original 18‑month headline sentence excessive and reduced Bates' jail term to eight months, citing mitigating factors such as her cooperation with Gardaí and her young age. The sentence is to run from 18 June. The appeal court did not suspend any portion of the sentence. The case remains at the appellate stage.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Student driver has jail term cut for seriously injuring dog walker. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

May 28, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
June 18 Hearing Or Sentence
2020-07-24 Publication

Case subjects

Unnamed woman

Appellant

Outcome: by Natasha Reid & Paul Neilan A Wexford commerce student jailed for careless driving causing serious bodily harm to a woman out walking her dogs on a country road had her sentence cut on appeal today. Bates (21) of Summerfield, Ballycale, Gorey, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for the careless driving charge at the circuit court last month and was given a four-month concurrent sentence for the hit-and-run by Judge Cormac Quinn.