Ireland court hears driver was disqualified before fatal Donegal crash

A court in Donegal has heard that a man who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death was already disqualified from driving when he struck and killed Laura Connolly near Lifford in 2021.

Sean Connaughton appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court and was also arraigned on charges of failing to remain at the scene of an accident, driving without insurance and driving without a valid licence.

The court heard he had presented himself at Letterkenny Garda Station the day after the collision.

Ms Connolly, 34, died after being hit by a van on the outskirts of Lifford on 11 July 2021.

The court was told she had been walking with four friends after socialising and shopping for her wedding dress.

The case matters because it centres on a fatal road crash involving a driver who was under a four-year disqualification at the time of the incident.

The hearing also places renewed focus on the circumstances in which the van failed to stop after the collision.

Garda Sergeant Eamon Roarty outlined the incident to the court, while witness statements were read by State Prosecutor Fiona Crawford.

One witness said Ms Connolly had been in good spirits before the crash and had been lying on the road when the van approached.

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