The mother of journalism student Joe Drennan, who was killed in a hit-and-run in Limerick two years ago, has said her family are relieved that the DPP has lodged an appeal against the six-and-a-half-year concurrent sentence imposed on her son's killer, on the grounds it was too lenient.
Speaking at their family home in Co Laois this evening, Marguerite Drennan said the sentence had been "a kick in the teeth" but there was some relief today when she received a phone call from her son Richard to inform her the DPP was appealing the sentence.
"It won't bring him back but as long as we get justice for Joe and get the law changed, that's all we want," said Ms Drennan.
Kieran Fogarty, 21, was given a six year sentence by the circuit court on 30 January for dangerous driving causing Mr Drennan's death at Castletroy on 13 October 2023.
That sentence is to run concurrently with an eight-year sentence also imposed on him for other offences including firearms offences - all committed when he was on bail and banned from driving.
Mr Drennan's family, along with his University of Limerick's student faculty and colleagues, have been campaigning for the sentence to be appealed.
Gathered around the kitchen table in their home this evening, Joe's father Tim said the sentence had put the family's "whole world upside again for the second time" and he too is relieved that the sentence is being appealed.
"Just relieved that's it's going back into court and the whole thing is still alive, but we just have to wait for the case now. There's no guarantee it will be different, but we hope it will be," said Tim Drennan.
"Nobody should be going through this"
The family said that regardless of the outcome of the DPP’s appeal, the family will press ahead with an online petition calling on the Government and Minister for Justice "to amend the current sentencing laws to ensure that multiple sentences for serious crimes, particularly those involving loss of life, are served consecutively rather than concurrently".
The petition has received more than 11,500 signatures since it began on 6 February.
"We've had so much support, from all walks of life, from everywhere. Everyone wants to help us," said Ms Drennan.
Mr Drennan said no family should have to go through what they have endured.
"There's a lot of support to change the laws around concurrent sentences. It's us today but it could be somebody else tomorrow. Nobody should be going through this".
Joe’s sister Sarah said the DPP appeal will be worth it to "get a bit of justice for Joe".
"We have to wait for the appeal and go through another court case but it’s all worth it if we get a bit of justice for Joe.
"In the last sentence... there was no accountability. We’ve lost Joe, we’re never going to get Joe back, and there’s no sentence that would ever bring him back but at the same time we need to see some bit of justice for him."
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, she said the appeal "is the only bit of solace" the family has.
"It’s hard to go through grief and now you have to advocate for justice. It was the only bit of solace we could find that the DPP would appeal. Now we just have to keep going with the petition to change concurrent sentencing laws so there can’t be a concurrent sentence when a death has been involved."
It is the family’s hope that the appeal will bring consecutive sentences, she said.
"It should have never been the way, but we’re just thankful that we’ve got the appeal so hopefully there’ll be a bit of justice for Joe. It’s hard to comprehend how concurrent sentences are brought like that but that’s why we need to change the law that it can’t happen again to another family."
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