A 61-year-old man, who admitted to dangerous driving causing the deaths of two teenagers who were on their way to their debs in Co Monaghan almost two years ago, has been jailed for seven years.
Kiea McCann, 17, and her best friend, 16-year-old Dlava Mohammed, died when the car they were travelling in struck a tree at Legnakelly on 31 July 2023.
Anthony McGinn, with an address at Drumloo, Newbliss, Co Monaghan, previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two teenagers.
He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm in the case of Dlava's sister, Avin, who was one of two other teenagers in the car at the time of the crash.
She was left with life-changing injuries.
McGinn had offered to be a chauffeur for the teenagers and the court previously heard that his white BMW was estimated to be travelling almost twice the 80km/h speed limit in the moments leading up to the crash.
Judge John Aylmer set a headline sentence of nine years, stating that this was offending at the upper end of the scale given it was an extraordinary breach of the trust placed in him by the McCann family and also that he ignored the pleas of two of the teenagers to slow down.
Watch: Kiea McCann's mother says McGinn sentence is 'no justice'
Outside court, Kiea's mother Teresa said the sentence handed down was "not justice".
"Seven years, that's the justice here. Two beautiful girls. This is what we got today," she said.
"There is no justice for this. My child's life is gone and never coming back."
The judge said mitigating factors included there was no drink or drugs involved and McGinn's very early plea of guilt.
Judge Aylmer also suspended McGinn from driving for 15 years.
He said McGinn had also "ignored the pleas - and somewhat angry pleas - to slow down from two of the frightened young passengers", referring to Avin and another passenger - Oisin Clerkin - who sustained less serious injuries in the crash.
He said the road was wet which made the speeding even more dangerous.
The judge noted McGinn had been a friend of Kiea's father at the time and had "committed an extraordinary breach of trust" which had been placed in to drive the young people to debs.
He said the "devastating impact" of his actions was the loss of life and the life-altering injuries suffered by Avin.
He said the court had heard "harrowing victim-impact statements".
Judge Aylmer said representations for McGinn had pointed out he never had any intention to injure anyone, but the judge added he had a "very determined" intention to drive at a "grossly excessive speed", having a "reckless disregard" for the potential of death or serious injury to arise.
He said the driver was fully co-operative with the investigation to the extent that he could be given his apparently genuine "little recollection of events" having suffered very severe injuries himself.
McGinn spent a number of months in a coma after the crash, the court heard.
The judge said he had entered a very early plea of guilty but added that was in the face of an "overwhelming case" brought by the prosecution, considering the entire event was captured on dashcam.
He said the value of the early plea is in "sparing the families" further trauma of a trial which would have arisen.
Judge Aylmer said McGinn's injuries cannot be ignored but they provide little mitigation because "they were self imposed".
The judge also said he had received reports that McGinn displayed appropriate victim empathy and his sense of responsibility for the deaths and the injuries suffered "weighs heavily" on him.
McGinn is also considered to present a low risk of reoffending.
Additional reporting PA
