Courts / Roscommon / Report
Drunk driver has until New Year to pay €20k fine
Summary
The Court of Appeal has upheld a finding that the sentence imposed on Muiris Flynn, a 31-year-old appellant, was unduly lenient for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, drink driving, and driving without insurance at Doon near Boyle on September 24, 2017. Flynn pleaded guilty to all charges. While the three-judge panel nominated a headline sentence of six years, they decided not to increase the custodial element because Flynn had already been released from prison and secured new employment. Instead, the court imposed a €20,000 fine, describing it as a substantial part of his punishment. The unserved balance of the three-year custodial sentence was suspended. The court re-imposed the original driving disqualifications, acknowledging their adverse impact on his social and working life but deeming them an appropriate response to the devastating harm caused to the victims. Flynn was given until December 31, 2020, to pay the fine in a single instalment, with permission to pay through the Roscommon Town court office. The matter was not adjourned; the re-sentencing and fine payment deadline were finalized.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Drunk driver has until New Year to pay €20k fine. Charges or matters: dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, drink driving, and driving without insurance at Doon near Boyle on September 24th, 2017. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- September 24th, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 31st December 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- New Year's Eve Other
- 2020-11-24 Publication
Why: However, he submitted that the judge had to fix his sentence in the mid-range for that offence and, because he did so, there was no error. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, drink driving, and driving without insurance at Doon near Boyle on September 24th, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Francis Comerford sentenced him to four years in prison for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, with the final two and a half years suspended. He imposed a concurrent four-month sentence and three-year disqualification on the drink driving charge and a concurrent three-year disqualification for driving without insurance.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Crash Roscommon Circuit Court
- Roscommon
- Tallaght
- Tallaght Hospital
Topics
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