The family of a student killed in a hit-and-run incident have called for the law to be changed to ensure that concurrent sentences cannot be imposed in cases where one of the offences involves a death.
Journalism student Joe Drennan (21) was waiting for a bus when convicted criminal Kieran Fogarty struck him with his car in Limerick on October 13th, 2023. He had been detected driving at 122km/h in a 50km/h zone beforehand.
Fogarty, aged 19 at the time, was on bail and banned from driving when the incident occurred.
Fogarty, of Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick, attempted to wipe his DNA from the inside of the car after pinning Mr Drennan underneath the vehicle, and fled the scene on foot without offering any assistance.
Last month at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Colin Daly sentenced Fogarty to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to carrying out a drive-by shooting six months before Mr Drennan’s death.
Initially, the hearing was told that Fogarty would serve an additional 6½ years for killing Mr Drennan. However, the judge later said the hit and run sentence would run concurrently with the shooting sentence.
The Drennan family want the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to appeal this sentence. They want to see the hit-and-run sentence served consecutively to Fogarty’s gun-related sentence, meaning he would serve 14½ years in prison.
The family said they had yet to receive an answer from the DPP to their request for an appeal of the sentence.
The Drennan family met Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald at Leinster House on Tuesday and spoke to the media afterwards.
Joe was basically forgotten by the justice system, and it was just a disgrace, really
Sarah Drennan, Joe’s sister, said: “The law needs to change that concurrent sentencing can’t happen when a death is involved, because it just forgets victims and families.”
She also said the family want “justice for Joe”. An online petition seeking a change in the law has generated 11,000 signatures since last week.
Sarah Drennan added that “no family should have to advocate for justice”, and said there has been “no accountability for what happened to Joe.
The Drennan family hope to meet Government representatives, including the Taoiseach, as part of their campaign.
Ms McDonald said Sinn Féin would “do everything that we can within our power” to support the family.
Asked about the family’s request for an appeal of the sentence, a DPP statement said: “The Office of the DPP does not comment on individual cases and will not be making any comment on this matter.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
