Garda gets year in jail for driving which led to death

A drugs unit detective has been jailed for one year by Judge Elizabeth Dunne for dangerous driving causing the death of a teenage…

A drugs unit detective has been jailed for one year by Judge Elizabeth Dunne for dangerous driving causing the death of a teenage student who was his rear-seat passenger.

"This is a case in which an act of charity, a kind gesture, has turned into a tragedy for all concerned," Judge Dunne said in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Det Garda Richard Callaghan's car mounted the footpath at the junction of Camden Street and Charlotte Way and crashed into the front of the Bleeding Horse pub early on October 18th, 1997.

Ms Ruth Goldsberry (19), of Summerfield, Old Bawn, Tallaght, died from her injuries. A fire brigade unit had to cut the top off the car to release her, Ms Elizabeth Gaffney, her best friend, who was the front-seat passenger, and the driver.

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Callaghan had come into the city centre with Ms Gaffney at her request to collect her friend from the Rashers Geraghty disco and bring her to her home for the night.

Sgt Aiden Weir told the court that Ms Goldsberry was found lying across the back seat after the crash. She was conscious but moaning, and blood was trickling from her mouth.

Callaghan, married and the father of two sons, of Cill Cais, Old Bawn, who was a member of the Tallaght Drugs Unit, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing Ms Goldsberry's death.

Sgt Weir told Mr Tom O'Connell, prosecuting, that minutes before the fatal crash the detective's car had been spotted by patrolling gardai driving the wrong way up Wicklow Street and Exchequer Street onto South Great George's Street, where it turned left. The car then took off at very high speed up Wexford Street, Aungier Street and Camden Street.

It crashed red lights at the George's Street/Aungier Street junction and overtook a taxi on the inside before failing to negotiate the bend at the crash scene.

Callaghan was found to be "perfectly sober" afterwards. There was a 92-foot skid-mark at the scene, and driving conditions were good.

Det Sgt Gearoid Begley told Mr George Bermingham, defending, that the defendant was an exemplary member of the Tallaght Drugs Unit and had been a very successful community garda before that. The tragedy had impacted greatly on him and caused him much remorse.

Det Sgt Begley said that Callaghan's young son had been diagnosed as suffering from meningitis just after Christmas, and this had also caused him concern.

Insp Pat Edgeworth told Mr Bermingham the defendant had been a most successful community garda in the Killinarden area.

He was a native of Tallaght and succeeded in making contacts and building up trust among young people. His work with young people continued into his own leisure time.

Many young people were kept out of crime as a result of his efforts.

Father Jim McCormack, a former curate in Killinarden, said Callaghan was held in the highest regard by all who came into contact with him.

Mr Bermingham said his client had no plan to go into the city centre early in the morning until he volunteered to do a favour for a friend.

His client could not say why he was driving at such a speed on that occasion, and had asked him to express his sincere regret and remorse to the dead girl's family.

Mr Bermingham said nothing now could undo this tragedy and a custodial sentence would only compound it. A custodial sentence would end his career and it would be unduly harsh for a garda in an Irish prison.

"Justice would not be served by jailing him. Nothing would be achieved for the community, which would best be served by allowing him to continue his exemplary work," counsel added.

Judge Dunne said she had no doubt that the defendant was an exemplary garda and serious consequences would flow for him from a custodial sentence. His behaviour on the night was not acceptable and the fact that he was a garda did not require the court to deal with the case any differently from others.

The public had to be protected and she could think of only one way the court could properly mark the seriousness of the way he drove that night.

"I am very mindful of the fact that jailing him imposes another tragedy on him and that he will lose his job. But others in similar situations would also lose theirs.

"I am mindful that the penalty is not just the custodial sentence but the consequences that flow from that, but I cannot see any way out of a custodial sentence," Judge Dunne added.

Ms Goldsberry's parents, sisters and brothers were in court to hear the judgment. Her mother broke down as the sentence was imposed.

Outside the court afterwards her brothers, Ivan and Keith, commented: "Justice has been done, but it can never bring our sister back."