David McCann given suspended sentence and four-year driving ban for careless driving causing death of Ann Watters

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

David McCann (49), a delivery driver from Dublin 8, was given a 12-month sentence, suspended in full, and disqualified from driving for four years after pleading guilty to careless driving causing the death of Ann Watters in Ringsend, Dublin, on April 20th, 2024. Judge Orla Crowe imposed the sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She said the collision resulted from a momentary lapse in attention, and took into account his cooperation with Gardaí, his genuine remorse and the fact that he stayed at the scene.

The court heard that McCann was not looking at the road ahead as he turned right onto the road Ms Watters was crossing. CCTV footage showed she was halfway across when he began the turn, and that he was looking back over his shoulder at a sign at the time of impact. The van was recorded travelling at about 13 miles per hour and was in good working order. The judge noted there was no excessive speed and no evidence of intoxication or mechanical defect.

Ms Watters never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead three days later. Her husband, Gary Watters, told the court in a victim impact statement that the day of the collision was the beginning of a nightmare that still endures. He asked how many more people have to die until driver behaviour changes.