A 55-year-old man has apologised to the family of a mother-of-two who died after his van veered onto the wrong side of the road in Co Kildare, killing her instantly.
Junette Stronge, 49, had been driving her car back from her father's 90th birthday, with her two young children in the back seat.
The van veered over to her side of the road hitting and badly damaging the driver's side.
Her two children, aged three and six months, were uninjured in the incident.
Michael Goggins from Oaklawns, Longwood in Co Meath, will serve nine months in jail after he admitted dangerous driving causing death on 2 January 2024.
The incident occurred at around 6.20pm which occurred between Kilcock and Enfield at a time when the road conditions and visibility were described as good.
Judge Elva Duffy said there was simply no explanation as to what had happened, but she said that Goggin's remorse appeared to be genuine.
She said no matter what she did, she "could not bring this beloved woman back".
Sentencing Goggins to a term of three years, she said she would fully suspend 27 months of that sentence, meaning he will serve nine months in custody.
He was also disqualified from driving for four years.
Junette a gentle soul - sister
Garda Jennifer Finnegan from Celbridge Garda Station agreed that the driver of the van could not provide a clear explanation as to what had happened and as to why he had veered into the oncoming lane.
He had written a letter to the family in which he accepted 100% responsibility and expressed remorse for the consequences of his driving that day.
The court heard that there was no evidence of speeding or mobile phone use and that all of the vehicles involved in the collision had been in good condition.
Ms Stronge's sister Thelma told the court that the sudden and violent loss of her sister's life had had an impact felt far beyond her immediate family.
She said Junette had been a gentle soul with a mischievous smile and a sharp wit.
They were 'Irish twins', she said, as she had been born on her sister's first birthday.
She was their "daddy's pet", often caring for their elderly father, whose 90th birthday she had been attending that day in Co Offaly.
'I lost my partner and my daughters, their mother' - partner
Her partner Steeve said having a family was all his wife had wanted and she had been devoted to her two daughters.
Their youngest was just six months old when the accident happened and their lives changed in an instant.
"I lost my partner, and my daughters [lost] their mother," he said.
He said her death had left a space that could never be filled.
His oldest daughter would require therapeutic support over what had happened, he said.
Paul Carroll SC said his client struggled with knowing exactly how he ended up on the wrong side of the road.
He had a history of some medical issues that affected his mobility and a recent diagnosis of sleep apnea but the judge noted there was nothing to suggest that these were a factor in the incident.
Afterwards the accused had been very upset, shaken and in shock and had cooperated with gardaí, entering an early guilty plea.
Judge Duffy noted that the family had wanted restorative justice but she said this would not provide the answers they were seeking about what happened.
She commended the family for the beautiful words about their sibling and partner.
There were audible tears in the court as the case concluded, with Goggins telling the judge he wanted to personally apologise to the family, saying "I'm sorry".
