A FATHER of two who had 23 drinks and a line of cocaine before attempting to drive home has been jailed for five years for dangerous driving causing the deaths of two men who were on their way to catch a flight at Cork airport.
Anthony Long (29), Leddington, Leamlara, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of Brendan Donnelly (24) and Lee Salkeld (26) on the N25 at Caherulton, Castlemartyr, Co Cork, on October 26th, 2009.
The crash happened at 2.45am as Mr Donnelly, his girlfriend Laura Connolly and father-of-one Mr Salkeld and his fiancee Kate Flynn were driving from their homes in Waterford city to catch an early morning flight from Cork to Amsterdam for a short break.
Det Sgt Joe O’Connor told Cork Circuit Criminal Court how Long admitted he had been drinking since 3pm the previous day, consuming six bottles and five cans of beer at home before getting a lift to a pub in Midleton.
He told gardaí that at the pub he drank seven pints, two vodkas and three Aftershock liqueurs, and took a line of cocaine. He had gone out with no intention of driving but had a row with his wife who had driven to join him, and he took their car and drove home alone.
He missed his turn and was continuing towards Castlemartyr on the N25, intending to turn there, when he crossed to the other side and collided with a Volkswagen Polo being driven by Ms Connolly.
The passenger side of the Polo took most of the impact, with Mr Donnelly, who was in the front passenger seat, and Mr Salkeld, who was in the back, being killed instantly.
Ms Connolly and Ms Flynn suffered serious injuries.
Det Sgt O’Connor said Long left the scene but was arrested five hours later in Ballinacurra, six miles away, having walked there via back roads. While he initially told gardaí someone else was driving, he admitted he was the driver when told of the fatalities.
Long, who wept through some testimony from the mothers and partners of the deceased in their victim impact statements, took the witness box to express remorse.
“Words will never describe how truly and deeply sorry I am for what I’ve done. Guilt and self- loathing will never describe how I feel about myself every day and will do for the rest of my life – I am truly sorry for the suffering I caused everybody,” he said.
Long’s counsel Tom Creed asked Judge Patrick Moran to be as lenient as possible, saying his client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was genuinely remorseful for his actions, which had devastated his victims’ lives and those of his own family.
Judge Moran accepted Long’s guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, but noted aggravating factors including causing the deaths of two men, injuries to two women, driving after consuming a considerable amount of drink and leaving the scene.
Long’s previous conviction for drink-driving was another aggravating factor, said the judge, sentencing Long to five years in jail and disqualifying him from driving for 15 years.
