The family of journalism student Joe Drennan, who died in a hit-and-run in Limerick, have expressed anger and outrage at the prison sentence imposed on the man who killed him.
Kieran Fogarty, from Hyde Road in the city, received a six-and-a-half year sentence for dangerous driving causing death in October 2023 and an eight year sentence for a drive-by shooting in June of the same year.
The sentences will run concurrently and are backdated to October 2023.
After the sentencing, Joe Drennan's father Tim jumped to his feet and addressed the judge directly about the little time that Fogarty will spend behind bars.
Tim and Marguerite Drennan, their daughters Sarah, Ava and Marie, and other members of the family emerged from the courthouse shaking their heads and calling the sentence "disgusting".
Many had tears streaming down their faces as they huddled together before speaking to the media.
Sarah Drennan spoke on behalf of the family.
She said that Joe "was just finishing a day at work and earning his money for college and waiting for a bus to go home. Then his life is taken by a known criminal who should never have been free to harm him.
"Our suffering will never end. Joe should be here. My brother didn't deserve to die and this sentence is disgusting. We have been given a life sentence."
The court heard how Fogarty was driving at 122km/h when he struck Mr Drennan and fled the scene.
He had insisted to gardaí that he did not know he hit someone and left them to die under the car.
The court heard how his mother had told him to "do the decent thing and hand himself in" but it was only after several interviews with gardaí and in the face of overwhelming CCTV and DNA evidence that he made admissions.
There were also text and voice messages shared by Fogarty about the crash and a reference to hitting someone. He also shared press reports of the incident the next day.
Fogarty was on bail at the time of the crash for other offences and was forbidden to drive.
Judge Colin Daly said the difference between Joe Drennan and Kieran Fogarty was "stark".
One was already involved in a life of drugs and organised crime at the age of 19. The other was a 21-year-old budding journalist and Editor of the Limerick Voice newspaper in his fourth year at University of Limerick.
He said that Mr Drennan had so much to offer the world.
The Drennan family, from Mountrath in Co Laois, want the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the sentence.
