An appeal by Philip Sheedy against his four-year sentence for dangerous driving causing death will be heard by the three-judge Court of Criminal Appeal on October 11th next.
The release of Sheedy in controversial circumstances earlier this year led to the resignation of two senior judges. The DPP challenged the release in judicial review proceedings, but the case was dropped when Sheedy voluntarily returned to prison.
Sheedy, of Newpark, Leixlip, Co Kildare, was prosecuted for dangerous driving causing the death of Mrs Anne Ryan on March 15th, 1996, at Glenview Roundabout on the Tallaght bypass, and for driving with excess alcohol.
On October 20th, 1997, he pleaded guilty and received a four-year sentence from Judge Joseph Mathews at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 years. Judge Mathews granted liberty to review the sentence on October 20th, 1999. Later, on Sheedy's application, the judge discarded the October 20th review date.
Last February the DPP secured leave to seek an order quashing the decision of November 12th, 1998, by Judge Cyril Kelly of the Circuit Court to suspend the balance of Sheedy's sentence.
The matter came before Ms Justice Laffoy in the High Court last March when Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, for Sheedy, said he was instructed to withdraw his client's opposition to the DPP's application. Sheedy surrendered himself to the prison authorities to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Subsequently, Mr Justice Hugh O'Flaherty of the Supreme Court and Mr Justice Cyril Kelly (who had been promoted to the High Court in the interim) resigned over the matter.
Earlier this month it was learned that Mr John Ryan (40), of Tymon Crescent, Old Bawn, Tallaght, had taken a claim for damages against Sheedy arising out of the death of his wife, and for injuries Mr Ryan himself allegedly sustained in the road incident.
