Man extradited after game show appearance jailed

A Wexford motorist who skipped bail on a dangerous driving charge before being extradited from Britain to the Republic after …

A Wexford motorist who skipped bail on a dangerous driving charge before being extradited from Britain to the Republic after appearing on a television game show was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison today.

Michael Furlong, of Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Natalie Freeman (15) in March 2002.

Ms Freeman was a passenger in a car driven by Mr Furlong which hit a wall near Bagnalstown, Co Carlow, in the early hours of the morning of March 15th 2002.

Two other passengers escaped with minor injuries.

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Furlong had failed to turn up in court to face the dangerous driving charge and then appeared on a Channel 4 game show, Boys and Girlslast March where he won more than euro 150,000.

Furlong told the court he wished to apologise to the Freeman family. "That is genuine. I am genuinely sorry, she was a very good friend of mine," he said.

Judge Michael O'Shea said he was satisfied the apology was a genuine act of contrition by the defendant and taking all mitigating factors into consideration he sentenced the defendant to three and a half years in prison, suspending the last year of the sentence, effective from May 9th,

He imposed a three month sentence for driving without insurance, endorsed the conviction on his licence and suspended him from driving for 15 years. Leave to appeal was refused.