A man who admitted killing a pensioner in a road traffic accident the day after he had been convicted of drink driving has been jailed for three years.
John Hogan (43) of Bushy Park, Ennis, Co Clare, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to dangerous driving causing the death of John Cahill (68) at Clarecastle, Co Clare on November 5th, 2004.
The accused also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of an intoxicant and to failing to provide a blood or urine sample on the same date.
Hogan had been drinking for 12 hours before his Volkswagen van had crossed a continuous white line on the main Ennis to Limerick road at Clarecastle and his Mr Cahill's car in a head on collision.
Hogan, a carpenter, had been disqualified from driving for two years for a drink driving offence at Limerick District Court the day before the fatal accident. However, that disqualification was not due to come into effect until February 1st, 2005.
Judge Carroll Moran said the case was one of the worst cases of death by dangerous driving that he had ever heard.
He jailed the accused for three years and disqualified him from driving for a period of 30 years. Leave to appeal was refused.