A father of two who consumed 23 drinks and a line of cocaine has been jailed for five years for dangerous driving causing the deaths of two men in Cork last year.
Anthony Long (29) from Leddington, Leamlara, Co Cork pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of Brendan Donnelly and Lee Salkeld on the main N25 at Caherulton, Castlemartyr, Co Cork at 2.45am on October 26th, 2009.
Today at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patrick Moran said that he believed the appropriate sentence in the case was five years in jail and he disqualified Long from driving for a period of 15 years.
Det Sgt Joe O'Connor told the court how Long admitted that he had been drinking since 3pm the previous day, drinking six bottles of Budweiser and five cans of beer at home before getting a lift to a pub in Midleton where he continued to drink.
He told gardaí he drank seven pints, two vodkas, three Aftershocks and had a line of cocaine there. He said that although he had no intention of driving, he had a row with his wife who had driven in to join him and took the car and went to drive home.
While driving, Long missed the turn for home and was continuing towards Castlemartyr intending to turn there when he crossed over on to his incorrect side and collided with a car driven by Brendan Donnelly's girlfriend, Laura Connolly.
Laura Connolly and Kate Flynn, who was sitting behind her, were seriously injured while Mr Donnelly and Mr Salkeld were killed.
Judge Moran noted that in addition to the deaths of the two men, the fact that Long had driven with so much alcohol, that he left the scene and that he had a previous conviction for drink driving. were all aggravating factors.
The court heard emotional impact statements from the mothers of both Mr Donnelly and Mr Salkeld with Christina Donnelly telling how she sits by her son's grave and rings his mobile so she can hear his voice on his voicemail.