Woman has jail term increased for causing death of pedestrian during chase

A woman from Riverstown, County Sligo, has had her prison sentence increased by the Court of Appeal following a challenge by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The 23-year-old was convicted of dangerous driving causing the death of a pedestrian in Dundalk in October 2017. She had thrown a sauce carton into another vehicle, prompting a high-speed chase through the town that resulted in both cars striking a 29-year-old man. The sentencing judge at Dundalk Circuit Court imposed three years imprisonment with two years suspended. The DPP appealed, citing undue leniency. Court President Justice George Birmingham ruled that the original sentencing judge erred in suspending an additional six months beyond what her co-accused received. The Court of Appeal re-sentenced her to three years with eighteen months suspended, requiring her to serve a greater proportion of her sentence than originally ordered.