A woman who had already served nearly a year in jail, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing serious head injuries to a young man, must serve a further 12-month prison term, the Court of Criminal Appeal decided yesterday.
Christine Tyndall (36), Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, Dublin, pleaded guilty on October 30th, 1998 to dangerous driving on June 14th, 1997, near Kill Lane Avenue, Foxrock, causing serious injuries to a passenger in another vehicle.
She was given a two-year suspended sentence on November 4th, 1998. The victim, an 18- year-old apprentice, received serious head injuries. According to a victim impact report, he will require rehabilitation for the rest of his life.
At a previous hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal, the Director of Public Prosecutions argued the sentence imposed on Tyndall was unduly lenient and the court ordered that she serve one year of the sentence from July 10th, 2000.
It suspended the remainder on condition that she keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a one-year period.
Yesterday, the court was told by Mr Justin Dillon, for the DPP, that the director was seeking to have the balance of the sentence reactivated.
He said Tyndall had pleaded guilty at Bray District Court to a number of offences.
Her case was due to come before the District Court again in mid-March.
The Court of Criminal Appeal, which was told Tyndall had a serious drink problem, said it would accede to the DPP's application and ordered that the balance of the sentence be reactivated from yesterday.