Limerick man who caused the deaths of two of his close friends through reckless driving while fleeing a Garda patrol has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment.
Judge Frank O'Donnell suspended the last year of the sentence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, while pointing out this was not an accident but a horrific crime. He said another car or an innocent pedestrian could have been involved.
John Casey (25, Brookfield Halting Site, Tallaght, and South Hill Park, Limerick, pleaded guilty last February to dangerous driving causing the deaths of Mr John Donaghue and Mr John Casey in Fortunestown Lane on November 27th, 2000.
The court heard previously Casey picked up three passengers, the two deceased and another friend, at St Maelraun's halting site around midday on November 27th. He was living in St Aidan's halting site at the time.
The four men went to Co Wicklow and spent the day drinking in pubs. About 9.30 p.m. they returned to the Tallaght area where they met a Garda van.
Casey drove off at speed, with the van in pursuit.
At the Blessington Road junction, they met another Garda patrol. Casey turned the car on to the City West Road and went towards Fortunestown Lane.
The gardaí lost sight of the car but went in the same direction down Fortunestown Lane, which is a long, winding road. A short distance down the road, the gardaí found the car crashed into a pier at the gate of a private residence.
An ambulance was called and took the injured and dead occupants to Tallaght hospital. The two deceased died as a result of their injuries while the fourth occupant of the car had broken limbs. Casey had injuries to his face and leg.
Ms Mary Donaghue, the wife of the deceased Mr Donaghue, told defence counsel Mr Jerry O'Brien (with Mr Durnam SC) that nobody bore any ill will towards Casey as it was just an accident. She said it would serve no purpose and cause great difficulty to his three children and pregnant wife if he was sent to prison.
Mr O'Brien told the court Casey was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident. He suffered from flashbacks and was preoccupied with the accident.
Judge O'Donnell said it was a tragic case as the three men were close, but due to his reckless attitude to driving the defendant was a danger to society and must be given a custodial sentence.