Drunk driver gets community service after killing man and severely injuring two Garda

gctest50 · 01-08-2018 07:48AM

Get Real wrote: »

There was an ill man on his hands and knees on the hard shoulder.

......

He went missing from the Little Flower Nursing Home in Ardrahan and managed to get 182 mgs of ethanol into his system, which came within the toxic range.

Liam McDonnell from Cleaghmore, Ballinasloe, was a resident at the Little Flower Nursing Home in Ardrahan and was reported missing on Sunday evening.

Supt Glynn said Mr McDonnell was pronounced dead at the scene. A subsequent toxicology report showed he had 182 mgs of ethanol in his system, which came within the toxic range.

Impact statements from Mr McDonnell’s two grown-up daughters were also read out. Both said their father had been a talented musician, writer and artist until alcoholism took over his life and rendered him homeless

gimli2112 · 01-08-2018 08:15AM

TallGlass wrote: »

A Garda been killed or injured are just collateral damage to the judges in the justice system, they are not seen as human beings. It's apparently fair game to run them over or speed off with them attached to the side of a car.

There was a story in the news earlier this week about a guard getting over €1M following an assault on the job. I don't know much about the case but the payout struck me as high. I think it unlikely that there would have been any negligence by the Employer but it still paid out.

I'm not suggesting he didn't deserve compensation or even at that level. I think the case was running a few years and he did suffer a serious injury.

suicide_circus · 01-08-2018 08:27AM

by my calculations this guy will be allowed drive again just as soon as he gets out of prison.

He killed a man, gave one Garda "life changing injuries" and broke the other Gardas leg. He should never be allowed behind the wheel as long as he lives.

yourdeadwright · 01-08-2018 10:14AM

Iv said it time and time again the Garda get so much abuse in this country when infact its the Judges that should be lynched ,
The Judges and the justice system is a joke, why does know one in power ever speak about the Judges being totally useless at there jobs,
Infact not are they only useless they seem to be some of the least compassionate people walking the face of the earth when it comes to the families of people who suffer from violence and drunk drivers ,

frozenfrozen · 01-08-2018 10:32AM

God help him if he had been speeding while sober.

Can you imagine the sentence if it was a done up civic driven by a 22 year old lad who killed the man and injured 2 gardai?

Juran · 01-08-2018 10:39AM

Agree - we all give out about the gardaí, but its the judges who have justice power at the end of the day. This guy should at min got a lifetime ban and some prison time. Another example here (see link) ... this guy faked a robbery an wasted hundreds of gardai hours. They were investigating for weeks - turns out the guy faked it and robbed €45k. As far as I know the money was not fully recovered. He gets 240 hours community service. and if someone doesn't have tax on their car ... don't get me started...
On a separate note .. for very strange reason, the court case and guilty finding got zero media coverage - it was all over the news when the 'robbery' took place, yet the court case kept very hush hush. I think TG4 were the only media outlet to briefly report on it.

https://twitter.com/nuachttg4/status/575717668868788224?lang=en

homerjay2005 · 01-08-2018 10:52AM

no accountability for judges, the original one should be struck off.

the problem is, judgement like that, are common place, youd see 100s of these every year, just not as well publicised as this.

seamus · 01-08-2018 10:55AM

If judges were struck off for being lenient, then every judge would err on the side of caution and be unnecessarily harsh.

Then every other thread on AH would be "garlic man" style complaining about cases of guys who've been given 3 years in jail for being slightly over the limit.

Mackmatic · 01-08-2018 11:02AM

I am honestly amazed and in awe at that widows statement.

She asked for clemency so that the accused's family not be without a father. In the face of an awful tragedy, this woman is more concerned with this mans children then she is seeking justice for her own murdered husband.

This absolute arsehole gets behind the wheel plastered, nearly kills two garda, and kills an innocent man, and still, the widow is empathetic to his children.

I'm honestly amazed. The strength of character of that woman in the face of something so horrific is not only commendable, its inspiring. Fair play to her.

As for him, he should have been banned from driving for life at the very least.

Justice reforms should be on everyone's agenda come election time.

Wheety · 01-08-2018 11:23AM

Mackmatic wrote: »

I am honestly amazed and in awe at that widows statement.

You have to say fair play to her. She obviously heard about how it affected him afterwards and probably thought the memory of doing that was enough punishment. Her own husband being an alcoholic probably helped her form these thoughts.

However, he had a skinful of drink and decided to drive, ending up killing one person and inflicting life changing injuries on another. The Judge should have been much harsher with their initial sentence.

homerjay2005 · 01-08-2018 12:10PM

seamus wrote: »

If judges were struck off for being lenient, then every judge would err on the side of caution and be unnecessarily harsh.
.

unnecessarily harsh? you break the law, then expect to go to jail. clear guidelines and sentences would remove any ambiguity but for every garlic man, theres probably 1000 people getting away lightly.

xckjoo · 01-08-2018 12:38PM

Does he still only have a 4 year driving ban? That's the most shocking part. Should never be allowed in charge of anything above a push bike again.

Ken. · 01-08-2018 12:38PM

I hope my life is worth more if someone kills me.

Let's say that community service was a minimum wage job. The judge basically valued the life of the deceased man at just under €2300.

That's not right.

LiamoSail · 01-08-2018 12:48PM

Whatever about a custodial sentence, he should be liable for the full cost of the medical care and salary during absence of both Garda injured, as well as any other resulting costs and compensation claims.

Whatever about a custodial sentence acting as a deterrent, paying off what would essentially be a second mortgage certainly would

Mackmatic · 01-08-2018 02:28PM

Haven't read through the thread so this might be covered. But he has gotten jail after an appeal

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/drink-driver-who-was-five-times-over-the-limit-when-he-killed-pensioner-jailed-on-appeal-37173181.html

pauliebdub · 01-08-2018 04:48PM

xckjoo wrote: »

Does he still only have a 4 year driving ban? That's the most shocking part. Should never be allowed in charge of anything above a push bike again.

He'll never get insurance again so that effectively is a lifetime ban.

xckjoo · 01-08-2018 04:54PM

pauliebdub wrote: »

He'll never get insurance again so that effectively is a lifetime ban.

That's interesting. Never thought of that. But it's not great that our justice system has still judged him safe to drive, even if private industry has not

Would it affect him renting a car? Could he drive a car if someone else had open insurance on it?

seamus · 01-08-2018 05:05PM

pauliebdub wrote: »

He'll never get insurance again so that effectively is a lifetime ban.

That's not correct.

Once he has his licence, he's entitled to be quoted for insurance after 3 insurers have sent him a refusal letter.

The quote might be massive, but if he has the means, he can get back on the road.

pauliebdub · 01-08-2018 05:12PM

seamus wrote: »

That's not correct.

Once he has his licence, he's entitled to be quoted for insurance after 3 insurers have sent him a refusal letter.

The quote might be massive, but if he has the means, he can get back on the road.

http://www.thejournal.ie/car-insurance-refusal-quotes-3388327-May2017/

Insurance companies are businesses and are under no obligation to offer a quote. This lad will get nothing.

01-08-2018 05:36PM

pauliebdub wrote: »

http://www.thejournal.ie/car-insurance-refusal-quotes-3388327-May2017/

Insurance companies are businesses and are under no obligation to offer a quote. This lad will get nothing.

I think there actually is an obligation to quote.

seamus · 02-08-2018 09:15AM

pauliebdub wrote: »

http://www.thejournal.ie/car-insurance-refusal-quotes-3388327-May2017/

Insurance companies are businesses and are under no obligation to offer a quote. This lad will get nothing.

https://www.insuranceireland.eu/consumer-information/general-non-life-insurance/declined-cases-agreement

Drunk driver gets community service after killing man and severely injuring two Garda

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