A 32-year-old man who admitted causing the death of his uncle by driving dangerously over the legal alcohol limit has been given a three year suspended sentence and a driving ban for ten years.
The Judge described the exceptional the 'Christian charity' shown by the accused man's cousins.
Dean Healy from Newport in Co Tipperary was due to go on trial today on a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of his uncle.
Jim Kinsella, 56, died as a result of an accident near Galbally in Co Limerick on 6 September 2008.
His nephew, Dean Healy was charged with driving with excess alcohol on the same date, when he had over twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
Dean Healy changed his plea from not guilty to guilty just after a jury had been empanelled to try him at Limerick Circuit court today.
A victim impact statement read to the court on behalf of his cousins James, Jessica and Tanya Kinsella, children of the victim, said that the accused man and his uncle Jim had been great friends and they bore no ill feelings towards him.
The children of the victim said that the two years leading up to the trial had been a sentence in itself.
Judge Carroll Moran said this was an exceptional case and that the victims family did not want to see the accused man go to jail, and he commended them for this display of Christian charity.
