A circus boss was fined €25,000 while he and one of his lorry drivers were given suspended sentences yesterday for their role in events leading up to a crash that claimed the lives of a mother and daughter near Galway city last April.
Joan Reilly and her only daughter, Siobhán, were killed instantly when a runaway trailer owned by Circus Vegas collided head-on with their car on the N17 at Cloonacauneen, Tuam Road, Galway, last April.
The trailer was being pulled by a circus lorry driven by Francisco Daria (24), a Venezuelan national with addresses in Cherry Wood Park, Dublin, and San Lodovico, Sio Saliceto, Italy.
Mr Daria pleaded guilty last month to two counts of dangerous driving causing the deaths of both women. Circus boss Stephen Courtney (35), Earl Street, Longford town, pleaded guilty to a single charge.
After sentencing, an emotional Seán Reilly, husband and father of the deceased, said his family were devastated. Referring to the suspended sentences, Mr Reilly said: "In our opinion they paid a very small price for taking the life of my wife and my only daughter. They have taken the life of my sons' mother and the life of their only sister. We are going to have a very lonely, lonely Christmas. Basically, I do not have the words to sum up how we feel, but we are all devastated."
On April 6th, the trailer, carrying circus equipment and with no safety clip fitted to its hitch and no emergency braking system in place, became detached from another trailer carrying two elephants, and crashed head-on into the Reillys' car.
The matter was adjourned to yesterday for sentencing at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Raymond Groarke said the deaths of both women were "utterly unnecessary and avoidable". He said there had rarely been a case where so little effort on the part of those responsible could have saved so much grief and hardship.
"Joan and Siobhán Reilly died because no one took the time to see that a clip was in place in a towing pin. To see that this essential piece of equipment to ensure safety was in place. It would not have taken a minute," he said.
He gave Daria a three-year suspended sentence and disqualified him from driving for seven years. He sentenced Courtney to two years, also suspended, and fined him €25,000.