A man who has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury to his brother following a high-speed crash in Co Westmeath last year has told a court he is "living through hell every day".
Gerard Duffy McAndrew, aged 23, of Ben View, Rathcorbally, Monilea, Westmeath, was the driver of an Audi car which crashed in Rathowen village in the early hours of 23 March 2025.
His passenger and brother Stephen Murphy, 29, who had been adopted and recently connected with the family, was thrown from the car, which was travelling at least three times the speed limit.
Mr Murphy sustained serious injuries in the collision, resulting in him losing his leg from above the knee.
At Mullingar Circuit Court, Judge Keenan Johnson said it is "one of the worst cases of dangerous driving that he has ever had to deal with".
"It's a miracle that both of you survived," Judge Johnson said.
"There are no winners in this," he added.
Sergeant Alan Brehon from Castlepollard Garda Station told the court that a number of witnesses reported hearing a loud bang in the village of Rathowen at around 2.30am.
One driver who was travelling from Dublin to Longford said the Audi went to undertake him on the N4, the main Dublin to Sligo road, at great speed.
Minutes later, Mullingar Circuit Court heard, the driver came across the car after it had hit two trees and crashed in the village of Rathowen.
Another woman who lived in the village reported hearing a noise which sounded like exploding timber.
The court heard the car had entered the village at high speed, hit a kerb, two trees and lost a wheel.
The brake lights were not illuminated on footage before crash, the court heard.
Mullingar Circuit Court heard how the battery of the car ended up lodged in the engine of another car which was parked in the village.
There was also damage to roof tiles on two storey houses in the village.
Sergeant Brehon told the court that when the car came to a stop 135m from where the collision happened and the needle on the speedometer was frozen at 195km/h.
Evidence read into the court from a paramedic at the scene heard how she had never seen leg injuries like it before, and she explained how Mr Murphy had to have his legs bound together so he would not bleed out.
Video footage retrieved from Duffy McAndrew's phone recorded on the night of the crash was shown to the court.
In one video recorded at 1.41am, Duffy McAndrew is seen driving the car, while holding and drinking from a bottle of wine and the passenger is asleep.
The video had a caption 'Roscommons a bad influence, beer, steer and go'.
CCTV from various cameras between Ballinalack and Rathowen calculated the car to be travelling at speeds of between 150km/h and 160km/h.
The court also heard the driver was not wearing a seatbelt and the passenger's seatbelt had snapped in the collision.
Duffy McAndrew had no NCT, no motor tax and no insurance on the car he was driving.
Mullingar Circuit Court also heard that toxicology reports showed Duffy McAndrew had cannabis and alcohol in his system on the night of the crash.
'I wake up every day full of sorrow and guilt'
"I wake up every day full of sorrow and guilt and go to bed feeling the same," Duffy McAndrew told the court.
He told the court how he had only found out that he had a brother a year-and-a-half before the crash and they had been "inseparable" since then.
Apologising to his brother, he said he struggles to put into words how he feels and he has not been able to look him in the eye knowing he is responsible for his injuries.
He said he would like to be able to rebuild his relationship with his brother and will be there to help in the future.
He apologised to his parents and sister for the worry and stress he has put them though and said it is hard seeing the toll it has taken on them.
Duffy McAndrew said he is forever grateful to the emergency services and witnesses who worked to save his brother's life.
He also apologised the emergency services and witnesses for what they had to see "because of someone else's stupidity".
His mother, Catherine McAndrew, told the court that her life has been in turmoil since the crash and urged the judge to consider a lenient sentence.
She said: "I lost my son all those years ago, I can't face losing another son today.
"Our family has been through enough, it should never have come to this."
She said her son Gerard has punished himself over the guilt of what happened to Stephen and she can see that in his face every day.
"Gerry did wrong and he has to live with this every day," she said.
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Both men have been to ‘hell and back’
Judge Johnson said it was one of the worst cases of dangerous driving he has ever had to deal with.
He said both men have been to "hell and back".
"It has to be said this is an absolutely horrific case and a tragedy of gigantic proportions for all involved," he said.
Judge Johnson asked for a probation report and adjourned finalisation of sentencing until 20 May.
