Teen gets 14 months for careless driving causing death of girl

A judge has criticised some young male drivers for treating public roads “as some form of private racetrack” to show off their driving skills and the performances of their vehicles, without regard to the dangers for their passengers or others. Judge Eugene O’Kelly made his comments as he sentenced 19-year-old Edward O’Shea from Magnh, Fenor, Co Waterford, to 14 months in prison for careless driving causing the death of 16-year-old Katie Murphy in a crash in October of 2016.

Mr O’Shea pleaded guilty at Waterford Circuit Court in January to careless driving causing the death of Ms Murphy, from Ballinamona in Waterford, and careless driving causing serious harm to friends Joseph Walsh and Jessica Flynn. The pleas were not accepted by the State and he went on trial at the circuit court earlier this year on charges of dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing serious harm, but was convicted by a jury of the careless driving causing death and serious harm charges.