Courts / Dublin / Report

Young driver who ran red light and fatally struck pedestrian avoids jail

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Letitia Barry was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, fully suspended, for driving through a red light and fatally striking pedestrian John Byrne on Whitestown Road, Rush. Barry admitted driving without due care and attention, causing Byrne's death. The court noted Byrne had waited for the pedestrian green light and that a six‑second gap existed between the vehicular red light and the pedestrian green light. Witnesses said the traffic lights were red for drivers when Byrne was struck. Barry's defence argued she was inexperienced, having held her licence for only three months, and that she had not seen the red light. The judge cited Barry's guilty plea, cooperation, lack of prior convictions, and youth as mitigating factors, and imposed a six‑year driving disqualification. The sentence was suspended on strict conditions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Young driver who ran red light and fatally struck pedestrian avoids jail. Charges or matters: driving a car without due care and attention, thereby causing the death of John Byrne. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 2022-02-23 Publication

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Read the original CNI report