The families of two friends who died after being hit by a driver while riding their motorcycles in Co Limerick have appealed for longer sentences to be handed down for dangerous driving causing death.
Maurice Fehilly, a 54-year-old from Kilsheelan in Co Tipperary, died after he was hit by a vehicle being driven by Daniel Phillips in January 2020.
He was out driving a motorcycle with his two friends, Thomas Traynor and Tom Conway, when the incident occurred.
Mr Traynor passed away from his injuries two years later.
At today's sentencing hearing, 35-year-old Phillips, of Crecora Avenue, Ballinacurra in Weston, Co Limerick, was jailed for five years and nine months for dangerous driving causing Mr Fehilly's death and for causing serious bodily harm to Mr Traynor.
He was also disqualified from holding a driving licence for a period of ten years.
Another man, 41-year-old Michael Stanners, of Pineview Gardens in Moyross, Co Limerick, was previously found guilty of endangerment and was today jailed for six years and six months.
Stanners was also disqualified from holding a driving licence for a period of ten years.
Speaking outside Limerick Courthouse, Mr Fehilly’s son Shane Fehilly, called for the maximum sentence of ten years for dangerous driving causing death to be increased to 14 years.
He said: "Although we got the verdicts we so needed after five years, we are calling for the maximum sentence of ten years for dangerous driving (causing death) to be increased to 14 years in line with best practice used in Northern Ireland.
"Tom (Traynor) and Maurice deserve no less."
Loraine Fehilly, Mr Fehilly’s wife, described her late husband as the "life and soul of the party".
She said: "(Maurice) loved the motorbike, the three of them did - Tom Conway the only survivor is back there - they were the three amigos and they went everywhere together.
"They had a motorbike group called the sunshiners - we're down to one sunshiner - so it’s as hard on the survivor, Tom Conway, as it is the families as he lost his two best friends."
Nancy Traynor, the widow of Mr Traynor, said while the families wanted to see the maximum sentence handed down for dangerous driving causing death, they felt justice was served.
She said: "Justice for Tom and Maurice, that’s all we wanted, we waited five years.
"We would have loved the max (sentence), we’d love if the max was more but it’s not, but justice for the boys was all we needed today.
"He (Thomas Conway) was a brilliant husband, father, grandfather, they were just two hardworking men.
"Lived for their families, looking forward to the weekends to go out with the boys, something they did every Saturday.
"We’re just keeping his memory alive for the grandkids. They’re two guardian angels, I believe that."
