A judge has described a mother's evidence in court as magnanimous. The court was hearing evidence yesterday in a road traffic accident which involved the subsequent death of an Athlone teenager.
John Molloy (20), Cloontus cart, Lanesboro, Co Longford, was charged at Mullingar Circuit Court with dangerous driving at Coosan Lower on January 17th, 1998. Judge Carroll Moran imposed a 20-year disqualification and jailed Molloy for four years. He suspended the jail sentence provided the defendant was not caught driving a vehicle. He refused a review of the disqualification.
Ms Esther Connolly, whose son Gary died following the accident, said her family was still shattered. A jail sentence for the defendant would not serve any purpose, she said, she only wanted to "see him off the roads to save any other family the trauma". She said she would forgive Molloy but she would never forget the hurt and anguish caused.