A former skipper who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death was given a suspended three-year sentence and banned from driving for seven years at Galway Circuit Court yesterday. Nicholas Costello (32), of St Dominick's Road, Claddagh, pleaded guilty to the charge following an accident in which his friend, Derek Bruton, from Old Youghal Road, Cork, was killed on January 1st last year.
The court was told that the car driven by Costello went out of control on a bend and struck a pillar at Carrowbrowne. The capping of the pillar penetrated the side window of the car, hitting Mr Bruton, who died soon afterwards.