Drunk driver escapes prison over road death

A drunken driver, who killed an elderly pedestrian and injured two Gardaí – one of them seriously – was today given 240 hours’ community service in lieu of a four-year prison sentence and disqualified from driving for four years.

Father of two, Adrian Nestor (44), from Keamsella, Kilcolgan, Galway, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court last November to causing the death of Liam McDonnell (66) and causing serious bodily harm to Garda Sharon Casserly, by driving dangerously near Ardrahan in the early hours of Monday, February 1 last year.

He pleaded guilty also to driving while drunk and having a blood/alcohol reading of 272 mgs of alcohol per 100mls of blood at the time of the fatal collision.

Sentence was adjourned to today for the preparation of reports and victim impact statements.

Superintendent Sean Glynn gave evidence staff at a local nursing home rang Gardaí at 11.35pm on Sunday night, March 31, 2016, to say a resident had left the premises and they were concerned because he was wearing dark clothing.

Two Garda cars were despatched to look for Mr McDonnell and just over half an hour later, at 12.10am, Garda Sharon Casserly and Garda Peter Murtagh, who were in one of the patrol cars, located Mr McDonnell.

He was down on the ground on his hands and knees, on the hard shoulder about 1.5km on the Galway side of Ardrahan.

The patrol car pulled in on the hard shoulder, three to four metres behind Mr McDonnell, facing in the direction of oncoming traffic.  Its dipped headlights and blue flashing lights were on.

Mr McDonnell appeared intoxicated and he resisted efforts by both Gardaí to get him into the patrol.

Supt. Glynn said that as both Gardaí were getting him into the patrol car, they were struck without warning by a silver Audi car.

The collision, he said, occurred at 12.30am on February 1, 2016.

The force of the impact caused Mr McDonnell’s death and his body was found in a nearby field.

Garda Casserly received severe injuries and her colleague could hear her screaming in agony as she lay further down the road in on the hard shoulder. Garda Murtagh sustained a broken leg, a large cut to his head and damage to his knees and ankles and he could not move to help his colleague.

For more extensive coverage, see next week’s Connacht Tribune.