A drunk-driver who broke a red light and smashed into another car to leave a woman needing 24-hour supervision for the rest of her life has been jailed for 18 months.
Faye Sherlock had no insurance and was more than three times the legal drink limit when she crashed into the car, causing Yvonne Nutuhle, a Zimbabwean refugee, to be flung out the rear side window and end up 26 feet away on the opposite side of a dual carriageway at Blackrock in August 2002.
The victim (23), who was an asylum seeker at the time but has since been granted refugee status, is still in hospital after suffering severe brain injuries in the accident.
Judge Michael White
Sherlock (24), a single mother originally from Highland Grove, The Park, Cabinteely, but now living in Bray, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Nutuhle and drink driving on August 31st, 2002. A count of having no insurance was taken into consideration.
At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this morning, Judge Michael White disqualified Sherlock from driving for ten years.
He ordered that the prison warrant not be issued until August 3rd so she could make arrangements surrounding her seven-year-old son, who has behavioural difficulties, the court was told.
"This was a a seriously aggravating case of dangerous driving and despite the defence's long plea for a non-custodial sentence the court must impose a custodial sentence," he said.
"The sentence would be far greater but for the difficulties surrounding Ms Sherlock's son such is the seriousness with which I regard this case. The aggravating factors far outweigh the mitigating circumstances and the sentence of the court will still be a significant one."