‘utter tragedy’ | 

Drink-driving school teacher jailed for horror crash that killed long-time friend

Joseph Farrell (26) drank up to seven pints before getting behind wheel of Porsche 911

Today at 09:31

A secondary school teacher who drank up to seven pints of alcohol before crashing a high-powered Porsche, causing the death of his long term friend, has been jailed for 16 months.

Joseph Farrell (26) Stonepark, Ballymacormack, Longford was sentenced to 28 months in prison with the final 12 months suspended after the Porsche 911 that belonged to his late friend, Brian McGinnity, of Cartron Big, Longford, left the road at Coolnahinch, Longford on December 18, 2021.

Mr Farrell, who pleaded guilty, said he was still at a loss as to explain his reasoning for getting behind the wheel of the late Mr McGinnity’s car after the pair had spent much of the evening socialising with friends in Longford town.

The court heard Mr McGinnity had been in the company of work colleagues from his father’s long established family run hardware business, Providers, earlier in the evening.

The pair later walked to a nearby fast-food restaurant before later making their way towards Mr McGinnity’s apartment on Richmond Street in the town.

It was at that stage, the court was told, the two young men decided to travel to Mr McGinnity’s family home in Killoe with Mr Farrell at the wheel.

It was a decision Judge Kenneth Connolly told Longford Circuit Criminal Court that ended in “utter tragedy” for all concerned.

Shane Geraghy BL, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the car in question went out of control at a bend before crashing into a tree and overturning on its roof.

When gardaí arrived and noticed Mr Farrell to be unsteady on his feet with a smell of alcohol from his breath, the geography teacher said: “I was driving, it’s my fault.”

Mr Farrell was later transferred to hospital as his own condition deteriorated and despite an initial delay in securing a blood sample, a later examination returned a reading of 166mg per 100ml of blood, leaving him more than three times over the legal limit to drive.

Mr Farrell would later go on to make full admissions to gardaí, telling detectives during interview: “I just want to say I am deeply sorry and how regretful I am for what happened that night. I want to take responsibility but I also want to express my profound sympathy to the McGinnity family.”

They were sentiments he re-iterated when taking the stand as he told the court he wished he could swap positions with his late friend.

“I profoundly apologise to the McGinnity family,” he said.

“Life has changed in the absence of my close friend Brian and I have frequently thought that it would have been preferable if it had been me instead of him.”

Mr Farrell also revealed how he no longer consumes alcohol and continues to attend counselling as he struggles with his own feelings of guilt and culpability.

In a hard-hitting and emotional victim impact statement, Mr McGinnity’s father, Eoin, said he too had spent much of the past two years battling with his own emotions following the loss of his eldest child and only son.

He said those perceptions were exacerbated by the fact he too had been in the presence of his son on a staff night out just hours before tragedy struck.

“As we said goodbye to Brian at 7pm that evening, I expected to see him the next morning in our shop, I would never have imagined it was the last time I would see him alive,” he said.

“Only hours later, the image of two gardai sitting at our kitchen table to explain we had lost our precious Brian and the pain of my daughters crying, trying to understand what they were hearing. They are sounds and images that will never, ever leave me.”

In a glowing testimony to his son’s academic genius, Mr McGinnity revealed how the fun-loving aviation enthusiast was destined for greatness having secured his private pilot’s licence on his 17th birthday.

He said the indelible mark his son made on his alma mater, evidenced by a tree and memorial plaque erected in his memory was, nonetheless tinged with a despairing sense of sadness.

“I am immensely proud Brian was held in such high esteem but the loss of someone so young is so hard to comprehend,” he said.

“There is simply no words invented that could even come close to describe the feelings we have felt over the last few years.”

And, in a final and powerful message to many of his son’s late peers and those of his generation, Mr McGinnity said the fallout from his death would serve as a “stark reminder” at how snap and spontaneous decisions can have the most far-reaching of consequences.

“We don’t know why Joseph Farrell or Brian McGinnity made the decision they did to get into the car that fateful night” he said.

“The decisions young people make have a devastating impact on their families, friends and entire communities. Joseph Farrell will know that his life too has changed forever. His family and friends have also suffered. We cannot bring Brian back but we know Brian will not want Joseph to suffer any more.”

In delivering sentence, Judge Connolly said while he could only salute the “utterly exceptional” charitable attitude shown by the McGinnity family towards Mr Farrell, the court was left with no choice but to impart some form of custodial sanction on the accused.

“I have a duty of general and societal deterrence when I am sentencing people for crimes and I cannot send out any message that I can condone somebody who has seven, maybe more pints of beer and consciously decides to wilfully drive a motor vehicle and especially with the consequences that have ensued,” he said.

“It’s just not tolerable for that to happen.”

He sentenced Mr Farrell to 28 months in prison, suspending the final 12 months for a period of two years.

He also disqualified Mr Farrell from driving for a period of seven years.