A man who drove at speeds of up to 160km/h under the influence of drugs and alcohol has been jailed for five years for dangerous driving causing the death of his 15-year-old cousin with whom he was reared.
Jimmy Connors (24) of Delatree, Ballycragh, Tallaght, snorted cocaine the day before he drove a stolen Toyota Yaris at speeds of between 140km/h and 160km/h after consuming marijuana, sleeping tablets and alcohol.
The married father of two had bought the Yaris for €4,000 knowing it was stolen.
Connors pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Edward Nash at the M1 Bealinstown flyover, Swords, on June 13th, 2006, and to driving a stolen vehicle.
Judge Patricia Ryan described the events as "tragic" and said she was taking into account Connors's 20 previous convictions and the fact that he was disqualified from driving at the time, as well as his family background and expressions of remorse. She imposed a five-year sentence to run concurrent to a two-year sentence for burglary imposed at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in December 2006, which Connors is currently serving.
Garda Darragh Hynes told Anne-Marie Lawlor, prosecuting, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that several eyewitnesses saw the Yaris collide with a Honda Civic, spin into the air under the flyover and land in a nearby field. The Honda was badly damaged but no one in it was injured.
Garda Hynes said a lorry driver travelling behind the Yaris saw Edward Nash, who was a front-seat passenger, come through the windscreen when the car went into a spin. He was thrown over the bridge and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Defence counsel Erwan Mill Arden said Connors had been in a "distraught" state since the incident. He had been reared with Edward and after the accident went "out of control on drugs", which resulted in a conviction for a later offence in 2006.
He said Connors had taken cocaine at a wedding the day before the crash, and on the day itself had consumed several cans of alcohol. He said Connors had a troubled family background with an abusive alcoholic father.
After his father's death, Connors had taken on the responsibility of head of the family.