Eunan McBrearty being taken back to prison. Pic by Northwest Newspix.
A MAN who killed his best friend in a car crash whilst disqualified from driving has been given an extra four months behind bars after he admitted driving again a year after the death.
Eunan McBrearty, 27, was jailed for three and half years last month and banned from driving after the crash at Murlog, Lifford, in May 2012. That court heard he was banned from driving at the time and had driven off in a €175 Opel Astra despite pleas from friends for him not to. Bobby Rodgers died in the crash.
McBrearty was back in court this week, this time before the District Court, after being caught driving whilst disqualified on two occasions in 2013.
McBrearty was brought to Letterkenny court by prison van and stood whilst the case was outlined to Judge Paul Kelly by Inspector Goretti Sheridan.
However defence solicitor Mr Patsy Gallagher told a story of a man tormented by guilt at the death of Mr Rodgers.
Mr Gallagher said McBrearty had confessed to driving whilst disqualified immediately to gardai.
“This man was in a complete and absolute hell at the time,” said Mr Gallagher.
“He knows he shouldn’t have been driving. He had gone out twice to meet friends to get out of the house.
“There were times on the other matter he wouldn’t turn up in court here – he wasn’t away in some drinking den somewhere. He was locked in a room crying.
“He wants now to put matters as best he can behind him. He needs assistance for his own nightmares and he is being helped in prison and by family members and he is also dealing with it by himself.”
Judge Paul Kelly imposed prison sentences of three months and four months on each count and disqualified McBrearty from driving for a total of 16 years and imposed fines totalling €500.
A number of charges relating to NCT and other offences were taken into consideration.