A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to four years in prison after admitting his part in a road accident which caused the death of a 23-year-old woman two years ago.
Johnathon Kiely, from O'Malley Park in Southill, Limerick, had been disqualified from driving for ten years at the time of the accident.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Tracey Fraeny at Sandy Land in Caherconlish in Co Limerick on 18 September 2005.
Limerick Circuit Court was told that the crash occurred after what was described in Limerick Circuit Court as dangerous overtaking.
Judge Carroll Moran said this was a case of some gravity, given that Kiely already had a conviction for dangerous driving imposed in January 2002 in which another person had died.
A six-month sentence along with a ten-year driving ban had been imposed then. This had followed a five-year disqualification imposed in March 2000 for the unauthorised taking of a car.
The accused today apologised to the victim’s family for what he had done. He said she had been a friend of his and he had given her a lift that day.
Kiely had moved from Limerick to live in Co Cork with his long-term partner and they were raising four children.
He pleaded with the judge not to impose any sentence until after 26 May, when his eldest boy of six was making his first holy communion.
Judge Moran refused the request, and imposed a four-year sentence beginning today.
Leave to appeal was refused.
