Cork death crash drink driver jailed
A drunk driver was handed a three-year jail sentence today for dangerous driving following a crash which killed his 20-year-old friend last year.
John McGee, 26, of Hardwick Street, Cork, admitted dangerous driving causing the death of Jamie Coughlan on June 15 last year at the Middle Glanmire Road, Cork.
The car went out of control and hit a pole. The driver, McGee, and the front seat passenger survived but the rear seat passenger, Mr Couglan, was killed.
They were all wearing seat belts at the time, according to Garda John Flynn who investigated the fatal case.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said the quantity of alcohol in McGee’s system at the time of the fatal crash was phenomenally high.
“An accident with that amount of drink was inevitable and you were driving with no insurance. Now there is a man dead," he said.
The judge said the mitigating factors included the defendant’s plea of guilty to all charges and the fact that he showed remorse in what was a tragic case.
“You have an addiction that is well out of your control,” the judge said to McGee.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said there had to be a custodial sentence.
He imposed a term of three years, with the last year suspended. He made it a condition of the suspension of the last year that the defendant would enter a drink and drug treatment programme, and attend the Probation and Welfare Service.
McGee was then banned from driving for ten years.
McGee had been drinking all of that day. After midnight he and his two friends went off to buy cigarettes and that was when Couglan lost control of the car.
