The Court of Appeal has reduced Sean Casey's prison sentence for dangerous driving causing the death of Megan Johnson and serious injuries to four other people, while leaving his 30-year driving ban unchanged.
Casey had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and serious bodily harm following a crash on 8 April 2013. He originally received seven years' imprisonment and a 30-year disqualification from driving. The Court of Appeal had already quashed that prison sentence in July 2015 and proceeded to sentence him afresh.
The court identified three principal aggravating factors. Kate Petford suffered catastrophic injuries and paralysis, with major consequences for her daily life and for her family's caring responsibilities. Casey had been driving with a blood-alcohol level four times the permitted limit. Garda forensic evidence also indicated that he approached a roundabout at about 80km/h where the speed limit was 50km/h.
Against that, the court considered Casey's guilty plea, remorse, cooperation with Gardaí, good work record and general good character.
Further reports showed that he had become a trusted and hardworking prisoner in Cork Prison, had engaged with addiction counselling and had gained insight into his alcohol use. A psychologist also reported that Casey developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder after a fellow prisoner and kitchen worker whom he had befriended was stabbed to death in his presence.
The parents of Megan Johnson also told the court they believed Casey had served enough time, was genuinely remorseful and deserved mercy. The court stressed that family views could not determine sentence.
It fixed seven years as the appropriate starting point, reduced that to five years for mitigation and then suspended the final 12 months in light of the further material.
The 30-year driving disqualification remains. Both the prison sentence and disqualification were backdated to the date of the original Circuit Court order.