An apprentice plumber who was over the alcohol limit when he crashed his car into a vehicle containing a South African woman due to give birth three weeks later has been ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and has been disqualified from driving for three years.
Peter Jarvis (22) was late for a football match after sleeping in following a night's socialising and was driving his girlfriend's car on the M1 near Swords, Co Dublin. He was using his mobile phone in reply to calls from his team manager and colleagues when he lost control of the car.
He crossed the median of the motorway and collided with the car containing the Vizagie family from South Africa. Ms Veronica Vizagie later gave birth to a healthy baby.
All members of the Vizagie family were hospitalised, including the son, daughter and husband, Johan Vizagie snr, who spent three weeks in hospital.
Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a three- year suspended sentence on Jarvis, fines totalling €4,750 and disqualified him from driving for three years.
Jarvis, Lally Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm, drink driving, driving while uninsured and driving without a licence on the M1 motorway on November 7th, 2004.
Garda Kevin Balfe told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that Jarvis had a blood alcohol level of 114mg per 100ml. He agreed with Seán Gillane defending, that Jarvis had been out socialising the night before and got a taxi back to his girlfriend's home where he stayed the night.
He woke up the next morning late for a football match and began receiving calls from the team manager and his team mates, asking him where he was. Jarvis asked his sleeping girlfriend if he could use her car and believed she said yes. While driving the car he received another call and turned on the loud- speaker of his mobile. He told gardaí he noticed he had crossed the median of the motorway and then lost control of the car.
Garda Balfe agreed with Mr Gillane that Jarvis made a full admission at the earliest opportunity and that he had not come to the attention of gardaí before or since. He agreed Jarvis came from "good stock".
Jarvis's employer said he was "very punctual and reliable" and he would have no difficulties in keeping him on until he is due to qualify as a plumber in January.
Mr Gillane said Jarvis had €5,000 in court to offer to the victims as a token of remorse.