A man who knocked down and killed a woman when he was over the drink driving limit hours after attending his father’s funeral has been jailed for 18 months.
Gobnait Twomey (51), a physiotherapist originally from Ballingeary, Co Cork, had graduated from college three months before her death on December 13th, 2022. She was living in Dublin but had returned to Cork for the funeral of her uncle, which took place hours before the fatal incident.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Michael Lucey (42), of Derryvaleen, Ballingeary, had left a funeral reception for his father in the early hours of December 13th, 2022.
Lucey had not driven to the reception, but decided to drive a vehicle belonging to a man who was with him who he felt he was too intoxicated. He drove the vehicle down Main Street, Ballingeary at 1.10am and struck a group of five pedestrians at a narrow turn outside the Old Forge Bar.
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Ms Twomey, her mother and sister were among the group. The court was told that Eibhlis Twomey knelt over her daughter as she took her last breaths. A number of other were injured in the incident.
Garda Deirdre O’Mahony said Lucey had 179mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine after the incident occurred, almost three times the legal limit of 67mg.
Lucey pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Ms Twomey, to driving while intoxicated and to a charge of dangerous driving.
In a victim impact statement on behalf of the Twomey family, Gobnait’s brother Seán Twomey said their world was “blown” apart by the events of that night. He recalled the “carnage” he witnessed when he arrived at the scene. He said he knew instantly that Gobnait was dead and saw his other sister being attended to by paramedics while his mother was hysterical due to what had happened.
Mr Twomey said Gobnait was the heart and soul of their family of two girls and seven boys.
He recalled having to tell his father that his daughter had been killed on the same day he buried his brother. He said his father died just months after Gobnait.
“He had fought like a warrior for two years to beat his cancer, but his will to live died that day. He died broken-hearted a few months later.”
Ms Twomey’s long-term partner Jay Ammari, originally from France, said in his victim impact statement that December 13th, 2022 was the worst day of his life.
“I have no home (now). I have just somewhere I live or stay. Home was where she was. Ireland became home thanks to Gobnait. She was the only family I had in Ireland and made me feel Irish. Now our small apartment looks empty without her,” he said.
Elizabeth O’Connell SC, for the accused, said her client was a “thoroughly decent man” who wanted to apologise for the tremendous harm he had caused the Twomey family.
Ms O’Connell said gardaí had indicated that Lucey was driving at a speed of just 27.3km/h when he struck the pedestrians. However, she said his reaction time was not what it should have been.
Counsel told Judge Colin Daly that there are prisons “other than those made of stone” and that Lucey would live with guilt related to his actions for the rest of his days.
Judge Daly said Lucey’s culpability was “very significant” and he had made a “conscious decision” to drive when he must have realised his ability to do so was significantly impaired.
Taking Lucey’s guilty plea and his lack of previous convictions into account, the judge sentenced him to three years with the final 18 months suspended. He also disqualified Lucey from driving for five years.
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