Jayne Kearney’s dangerous driving sentence cut on appeal

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

Jayne Kearney’s three-year sentence was cut by the Court of Appeal, which suspended the final nine months on 16 December 2016. She was almost three times the legal drink driving limit when she knocked down Blathnaid Molloy at Citywest, Dublin, on 8 March 2014, leaving her with a brain injury.

Kearney pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Blathnaid Molloy and driving while intoxicated. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to three years’ imprisonment on 12 January 2015. The proceedings were reported on 16 December 2016.

Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, sitting with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the appeal court did not regard the original sentence as inappropriate. However, the sentencing judge had failed to at least consider suspending part of it to encourage rehabilitation. He said the evidence before the sentencing judge provided strong grounds for optimism that she would avail of that incentive.

She was required to enter a good behaviour bond and agreed to do so.