A man who left the scene after knocking down a woman crossing the road has been jailed for four years and three months for dangerous driving causing death.
Philip Ormond (43) had driven through a red light and was 18km/h over the speed limit when he struck Kathleen Furlong on the R136 in Tallaght, Dublin, at the junction of Fortunestown Way and Cheeverstown Road at about 11am on September 8th, 2023.
Despite the efforts of various people, including an off-duty doctor, to assist Ms Furlong, she was pronounced dead at the scene. She had suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures to her leg, hip and pelvis.
Witnesses to the collision described Ms Furlong as being flung up into the air. Gardaí were told she hit the ground and remained stationary. One motorist thought “a bag of rubbish” had been struck.
RM Block
A witness later told gardaí that they were “pretty sure” Ormond had broken a red light. He was seen driving off after the collision, stopping for a moment, getting out of the car and driving off again.
A victim-impact statement from the family, read to the court by Joe Mulrean, prosecuting, said Ormond had made “a deliberate choice to drive dangerously and leave our Mam dying on the road”.
It was “not an accident – it was a choice”, they said.
They spoke of how her grandson had walked by the incident minutes after it happened not knowing that his grandmother was lying on the road.
“Life is a blur, we are trying to move forward and it often feels like we can’t breathe,” the statement said.
“Our mother’s name was Kathleen Furlong. She was loved. She was the heart of our family.”
Ormond, of Deerpark Place, Kiltipper Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing death. He also admitted to leaving the scene of a collision.
His 53 previous convictions included 24 road traffic offences, including one for dangerous driving. His insurance had lapsed due to non-payment of the premium.
On Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan told Garret Baker SC, defending, there were three aggravating factors: the speed Ormond was travelling; that he had adequate time to see the red light; and not responding and leaving the scene.
He said there was “no doubt” Ormond was remorseful.
A letter from Senator Lynn Ruane was before the court because, counsel said, she felt the need to offer support to Ormond but was at pains to sympathise with the Furlong family.
Mr Baker asked the court to accept that there was no evidence of alcohol, drugs, phone use, a defective vehicle or dangerous driving over a sustained period.
Sentencing Omond on Thursday, the judge said the evidence was that Ormond “took a chance”.
“Unfortunately for everyone, particularly Ms Furlong and her family, her death ensued due to this defendant taking that chance,” he added.
Ormond was disqualified from driving for six years.
During a garda interview, Ormond had said: “I just panicked. That is my mistake. I cannot apologise enough.”
