Four years in jail for drunk driver who's passenger died

[Wildbird12]

https://www.thejournal.ie/cork-crash-fatal-jennifer-thomas-killed-sheila-dunne-drunk-drink-driving-6555724-Nov2024/

This is a Cork case which was shocking. At the time there were rumours that the driver had called her partner to the scene and moved her friends body into the driver's seat. This was untrue. Her friends body had moved during the accident to that seat and she told arriving paramedics that her friend had been driving. She told Guards the truth.
Her driving is described in the article and is absolutely terrible. Everything about this case is so sad.
Her friend may have survived if she had been wearing a seatbelt.

Honestly, this needs to be twenty years minimum. Four years isn't a deterrent. This could be said for so many hideous crimes though.

I can't imagine someone thinking they're ok to drive after "12 alcoholic drinks". I also can't imagine anyone getting in the car when the driver was so drunk, unless they were too drunk to notice, themselves. What a tragedy.

Her friend would definitely have survived if the accused hadn't been hideously drunk while driving.

Horrendous case

Nice bit of victim blaming at the end there.

It’s a tragic case, but why did her friend get in the car with her after 12 drinks!

When she fell asleep at traffic lights twice, why did her friend not get out of the car?

Both acted incredibly dangerously and irresponsibly.

I feel both women bare the responsibility of what happened here. Sadly only one is still alive.

I think it’s actually really important to always mention that the person would likely be alive if they had worn their seatbelt because so many adults don’t put one on.
Same when a cyclist dies when not wearing a helmet and they could have survived. Keep reinforcing using safety measures.

As for the big focus on accused driver being an "ex model" by media, Is that supposed to be a litigating factor?

Is she too pretty to be a drunk driver and a killer?

Life is so cheap.
Four years? 🤦‍♀️

Sounds like they were both so drunk they couldn’t pick up the dangers of it all.

The only victims here are the daughter and son.

@Onthesideofthespiders

I agree in a general post about seatbelts but considering the original lie spread around about the victim by SM being the driver in the direct aftermath.

I feel in this situation all fault should shift entirely to the person who broke the law by drunk driving then crashed and passenger died.

I could also say If the ex model had chosen not to drink & drive, which is illegal, she could possibly be alive also.

Yeah I find it a bit ironic that the victims daughter talks about choices. Her mum was old enough to know not to get into a car with someone so drunk surely? It’s sad but I don’t think a longer sentence would serve anyone well.

I read yesterday about a 19 year old who was posting videos of him driving with his knees on the steering wheel and other dangerous driving. He ran into a woman who's now paralysed. She has other life changing injuries too.
He got just over 2 years.
These sentences blow my mind. They're pathetic.
Agree with above poster that life is cheap.

I don't think it is victim blaming. It's a fact.

If anything can be learned from this tragedy it is to always wear your seatbelt.

I suppose it depends on what the purpose of the prison sentence is. Is it punitive, to punish for causing the loss of life. Is it to rehabilitate so the perpetrator can rejoin society. Is it to protect society from the perpetrator?

Obviously no length will bring the victim back.

There must be a punitive element to a sentence for killing somebody, surely?

And four years is very little punishment.
If it’s anything like the UK system she will probably be out in two.

I agree with this. A lady with two kids at home had a boozy lunch with her friend, got into a car with her, remained in the car when her friend demonstrated horrifically dangerous driving, and did not put her seatbelt on. So utterly heartbreaking for her children but I'm not sure 'victim' applies here.

I thought the sentencing was too light too. What a despicable woman, i was glad to see her photos printed, she deserves to be shamed. I would have thought lying to the police would have carried a much greater penalty on top of the driving offence, not to mention insurance fraud too. The whole point of sentences is punitive surely? Maybe the victims decisions were considered here too.

I thought that too.
12 drinks !!!
Who is counting after 3 or 4 ?
So she might have had more than 12.
You'd have to be legless.
So sad.

Punishment for driving offences in Ireland is pathetic. So many people should have their licenses removed but driving is seen as a right not a privilege.

Pedestrians are blamed for being in the wrong place. This happened here in a hit and run case. The victim drove for a living and always walked home after his pint on a Friday. The was shock and outrage when his body was found. But when it came to court there was a lot of shoe gazing and mumbling of ' sure you wouldn't expect someone to be walking at that time of night '. 🤮

A sentence should also be a genuine deterrent to others, to send a very strong message that something like drunk driving will be heavily punished.

A different approach from the US. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wepqnypg5o 25 years.