Drunk driver jailed for car crash which killed his fiancée

A drunk driver who crashed on a Christmas night out causing the death of the love of his life was jailed for a year yesterday.

Padraig McCarthy from Springmount, Kinsale, Co Cork, was sentenced to three years with the last two years suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday after previously pleading guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Valerie O’Donovan, aged 31, on Dec 23, 2012, at Manch, Ballineen, Co Cork.

McCarthy said that no sentence could make his life any worse as a result of what he had done.

“It had never been my intention to drive. My driving with drink taken was a large cause of what happened. I will never forgive myself.”

He apologised to the family of the late Ms O’Donovan, in particular to the deceased’s parents and 12-year-old daughter, and to his own family for what he had done. He said he wished that his life had been taken and not that of his fiancée.

The defendant said this through a statement to the gardaí and he repeated the apology and expression of remorse in Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

“I have lost the love of my life. I have lost a dear friend. So much of my thoughts are with her daughter and her family,” he said.

Garda Lynch said the defendant by his own admission had six pints of beer when he drove the car. The car crashed into a tree and telegraph pole in the ditch causing the death of the front-seat passenger, Ms O’Donovan.

Tom Creed SC, defending, said McCarthy boo-ked a taxi for 1.30am, arrived late for it, and sat into the taxi at 2am but had to get out of it when the driver said he had phoned him to no avail at 1.30am and that someone else had booked the car for 2am, meaning he would have to wait. However, rather than waiting he drove himself.

Mr Creed described this as an aberration and a moment of madness.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin agreed it was a tragic case for two families but he disagreed with the description of it as a moment of madness.

“I cannot understand why he went back to drive the car when he knew he was drunk and he was not capable of driving a car, as a result of which someone lost their life,” he said.

He expressed the view that Padraig McCarthy was otherwise a decent character with genuine remorse.