Michael Collins loses dangerous driving death conviction appeal

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

Michael Collins’s appeal against his conviction for dangerous driving causing death was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 25 July 2023.

The conviction concerned the death of Jillian Thornton, 20, in a crash at Waterside Great, Duleek, Co Meath, on 27 May 2016. Collins had been sentenced to 14 years in prison at Trim Circuit Court in July 2019.

The appeal challenged Collins’s ability to represent himself at trial. The Court of Appeal rejected the argument that he should not have been allowed to conduct his own defence, finding that the right to represent oneself had to be upheld under Irish law.

This case may have concluded differently. The outcome has not yet been confirmed by a public source we could find.