THE family of student journalist Joe Drennan welcomed a verdict of unlawful killing and declared: “He didn’t deserve this.”
Drennan, 21, from Mountrath, Co Laois, died of “catastrophic injuries”, his inquest, which was held at Limerick Coroner’s Court, Kilmallock, heard.
Mr Drennan who was the editor in chief of the University of Limerick media platform, Limerick Voice, was innocently standing at a bus stop, when a car being driven by convicted criminal, Kieran Fogarty, ploughed into him, on October 13, 2023.
Fogarty, who at the time was on bail, banned from driving and wanted for other crimes, attempted to wipe his DNA from the car before he fled the scene on foot.
Afterwards, speaking outside the court, Marguerite and Tim Drennan, along with their daughter Sarah, and son, Richard, and Joe Drennan’s aunt, Lisa Bennett, said Joe suffered a “horrific” and “brutal” death.
They said: “Joe did not deserve any of this, he should still be here. No family should have to listen to this and yet the justice system decided that no real punishment was necessary.
“The man who took Joe’s life was a career criminal with 46 previous convictions.”
Fogarty left Mr Drennan for dead, he did not offer assistance to Mr Drennan nor did he contact the emergency services.
Fogarty, 21, Hyde Avenue, Balllinacurra Weston, Limerick, had used a mobile phone to record himself behind the wheel of the BMW 5 Series car he was speeding in at the time, at 122kph in a 50kph zone, moments before he lost control of the car, and smashed into Mr Drennan.
On January 30 last, Fogarty was given a six and a half year sentence for the hit and run, but sentencing judge Colin Daly, Limerick Circuit court, said it would run concurrent to an eight-year sentence he imposed on Fogarty for a completely unrelated shooting which Fogarty carried out seven months before the hit and run.
In February, the Director of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal against the hit and run sentence, on the grounds it should have been consecutive, and not concurrent, to Fogarty’s eight-year sentence for the unrelated shooting in April 2023.
No date has yet been scheduled for the appeal hearing.
UNLAWFUL KILLING
Garda JP O’Sullivan told Mr Drennan’s inquest that Fogarty drove through a red light at the Golf Links Road junction, Castletroy, seconds before the hit and run collision.
Garda O’Sullivan said: “He crashed into a stationary car, lost control, mounted a footpath and crashed into a wall. Joe Drennan received catastrophic injuries as a result.”
Limerick Coroner, John McNamara, recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.
