The widow of an undercover garda, killed when a drunken motorist crashed into him, said yesterday she would have preferred the culprit to be sentenced to more than three years.
At Dundalk Circuit Court, Anthony McKenna (30), from Kilrea, Co Derry, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Det Garda Des Dixon on November 15th, 2001. He also pleaded guilty to drink-driving; the court heard he was nearly 2½ times over the legal limit.
McKenna was an engineer and the court heard he had helped to build the Southern Link Road in Dundalk, the scene of the accident.
The accident took place on the evening of the Ireland versus Iran World Cup match, and McKenna had five pints in a Dundalk pub between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The court heard he was very anti-drinking and driving, and had made arrangements for a workmate whose car had broken down to take his car for the night. However, when his workmate's car got going, he decided to drive his car in case it was stolen.
He left the pub and went to turn onto a link road and join the dual-carriageway towards Drogheda. He should have turned left but instead turned right and into the face of oncoming traffic. The garda was on his way home to his wife and three children in Artane, Dublin. McKenna's car collided head-on with him. Judge Raymond Groarke said McKenna has demonstrated greatest remorse and was not seeking to escape the consequences of his actions. He imposed a three-year jail term for dangerous driving causing the death of the garda, and suspended the final year. A six-month term was imposed for drinking and driving.