Drink-Driver endangering others is beaten to death

Mr Bates's widow Brenda wept in court as it emerged her husband had drunk up to 10 pints of Guinness in a pub before getting behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi Pajero and tailgating and flashing Donohoe, who was travelling with his 18-month-old daughter.

Witnesses said Donohoe stopped in Irishtown, where both drivers got out of their cars and had an argument on the street, with Mr Bates shouting: "Don't be breaking like a f***ing fanny, just drive your f**king car."

Shortly afterwards Mr Bates overtook Donohoe's Toyota Rav 4 and mounted a central island before cutting in on the Dublin man, who later claimed he feared he was going to be rammed off the road.

The court was told Donohoe took a hurley stick from the boot of his car and hit the Mitsubishi Pajero as it blocked his path, and then hit Mr Bates several times when he got out of the car, including a fatal blow to the left temple as he lay defenceless on the ground.

In a statement Mr Bates's brother Gary said the dead man should be remembered as a hard-working man with strong moral values.

"He had respect for law and order ... never a man of violence," he added.