The lives of a number of people have been severely affected by an ex-Garda Special Branch member who caused death and serious injury to others while drink driving, an inquest has heard.

A retired member of the Garda Special Branch has been jailed for five years and disqualified from driving for 15 years for drunk driving causing death and serious injury.

A retired Garda detective who knocked down two teenage girls and killed a 71-year-old man while drink-driving has no memory of the events, a court heard today.