A MAN was jailed for five and half years with the final six months suspended after he admitted dangerous driving causing the death of his niece while high on a cocktail of drink and drugs.
Danny O’Donoghue (43), of Lower Main Street, Rathkeale, County Limerick, was coming down off an alcohol and cocaine binge when he rammed into eight-foot high screened gates that his 21-year-old niece, Marguerita O’Rourke (née Sheridan), was standing behind.
Ms O’Rourke had given birth to her first child three weeks beforehand, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.
Mr O’Donoghue’s barrister, senior counsel John Bowman, argued that O’Donoghue was “unaware” that Ms O’Rourke had been standing behind the gates.
Sentencing judge Colin Daly said it was clear that O’Donoghue “intentionally and deliberately rammed the gates” but accepted O’Donoghue had not intended to cause harm to his niece.
“Marguerita was a young woman, a new wife, aged just 21, and a new mother. Her son was just three weeks old, and the tragedy of her death was compounded by the fact that Danny O’Donoghue was her uncle,” said Judge Daly.
Minutes prior to the fatal hit and run on December 21, 2004, the court heard, O’Donoghue had an argument with his wife and drove away from their home in a rage.
He drove into Rathkeale town where he rammed his van into gates at his niece’s family home.
Ms O’Rourke was flung backwards in the impact and never regained consciousness. She died in hospital four hours later.
Detective Garda Elaine O’Keeffe, Rathkeale, previously told the court that due to ongoing “tensions” between families in the town, the ramming of properties had “become the norm”.
Margaret ‘Dotie’ Sheridan, mother of Marguerita, identified her brother as the driver of the van to investigating Gardaí.
Mr O’Donoghue had no issue with his niece, however the court heard there had been tensions around the time between the O’Rourke, Sheridan, O’Donoghue families, whom it was heard were interconnected through marriage.
After fleeing the scene, O’Donoghue attacked a van belonging to a Patrick Sheridan, and was seen recorded on CCTV smashing the windows in the vehicle.
Mr Sheridan told Gardaí he felt as if his life “flashed” before him as O’Donoghue approached him with a “three-foot machete”.
Judge Daly imposed a concurrent two and half year jail sentence on O’Donoghue for producing the machete. O’Donoghue was also given a seven-year road ban by the court.
The court heard O’Donoghue eventually handed himself in to Garda custody after spending two days on the run.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, criminal damage, producing a machete during the course of a dispute, and failing to remain at the scene of a collision. The final charge was taken into consideration by the court.
Ms O’Rourke’s grieving husband, Denis O’Rourke, wrote in a victim impact statement: “Whatever feud existed between our families, nothing could excuse what he did. This was an attempt to terrorise my entire family and it was intimidation designed to keep us living in fear.”
Ms O’Rourke’s heartbroken father, John Sheridan, said his daughter’s death has had “a profound and devastating effect” on him and his family.
He described Marguerita as “a kind, loving, wonderful daughter” and “a natural mother to her little son, Edward”.
Prior to sentence being imposed, Mr Sherdian told Judge Daly he wanted O’Donoghue put behind bars as he had “holding the accused accountable is important to my wife and me, but it is also important to our community”.
A letter written by O’Donoghue and sent to his sister, the victim’s mother, said: “It’s all my fault, I’m so sorry from the bottom of my heart, I’m the person who did this terrible sin, it makes me sick to my stomach.”
O’Donoghue had six previous convictions including dangerous driving, careless driving, disorderly conduct, failing to comply with a Garda’s directions, and causing minor bodily harm in Germany, in March 2023, for which he received a €330 fine.
– Court Reporting Scheme