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Rathkeale Man Jailed for 5½ Years for Dangerous Driving Causing Niece’s Death

The judge said he deliberately rammed the gates, finding grave recklessness.

Overview

  • The Limerick Circuit Court sentence includes the final six months suspended, a seven-year driving disqualification, and backdating to his time in custody.
  • Judge Colin Daly imposed a concurrent two-and-a-half-year term for producing a machete after the defendant threatened a man and smashed a van’s windows.
  • CCTV showed Danny O’Donoghue ramming high steel gates at his niece’s family home on 21 December 2024, causing fatal head injuries before he fled.
  • He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, with related offences including criminal damage and failing to remain at the scene taken into consideration.
  • BreakingNews.ie reported he had been using alcohol and cocaine at the time, a detail not included in RTÉ’s report.