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Jail term to be increased for Donegal driver who killed eight in crash

Updated 12.00 The sentence handed down to a Donegal man responsible for the worst fatal collision...
Newstalk
Newstalk

07.36 16 Nov 2015


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Jail term to be increased for...

Jail term to be increased for Donegal driver who killed eight in crash

Newstalk
Newstalk

07.36 16 Nov 2015


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Updated 12.00

The sentence handed down to a Donegal man responsible for the worst fatal collision in the history of the State has been found to be "unduly lenient".

Shaun Kelly of Hill Road in Ballymagan was jailed for two years last December for dangerous driving causing the deaths of eight people.

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This tragedy unfolded after Shaun Kelly watched the 2010 World Cup Final with some friends at a pub in Clonmany.

He had not been drinking but afterwards, the (now) 27-year-old sped off towards Buncrana with seven of his friends crammed into his VW Passat without any seatbelts on.

All of his passengers, who were aged between 19 and 23, were killed when he crashed into Hugh Friel, who was on his way home from Bingo.

The 66-year-old also died at the scene.

Today, the Court of Appeal ruled that the sentence of four years with two suspended was unduly lenient.

The 26-year-old initially denied dangerous driving causing the deaths of eight people on July 11th 2010, but changed his plea just before trial.

The three judge panel agreed that his guilty plea was entered too late to be considered a significant mitigating factor and that the judge made a mistake by suspending half of his four year sentence.

Mr Kelly was jailed just a few days before last Christmas and has served almost half of his two year term.

A new sentence will be imposed before Christmas.


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