Justice Minister to deliver public apology to family of hit-and-run victim killed by driver who should have been behind bars at time of tragedy
Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan is scheduled to take to his feet in the Dáil and publicly address the family of Shane O'Farrell, who was killed while cycling near his home in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, on 2 August 2011.
The 23-year-old was fatally injured by Zigimantas Gridziuska, a Lithuanian national who was on bail from at least five different courthouses at the time of the incident.
Gridziuska left the scene before later handing himself into gardaí after hiding his damaged car in bushes near his home, several kilometres away.
In March 2013, he pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the scene of the fatal collision, failing to report the accident to the authorities and driving a defective vehicle.
He never, however, served time for the fatal hit-and-run incident. In March 2013, he pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the scene of the fatal collision, failing to report the accident to the authorities and driving a defective vehicle.
The trial judge directed he be found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving with Gridziuska being banned from the State for 10 years.
It emerged, however that Gridziuska ignored bail laws and court orders were not enforced with later inquiries also establishing how he received a six-month prison sentence in the year beforehand, which he never served due to a Courts Service administrative error.
The Monaghan man's parents Jim and Lucia and his four sisters held face to face talks with Mr O'Callaghan in March where renewed appeals were made for a public inquiry into his death.
Mr O'Callaghan, during his tenure an opposition TD, moved a motion in 2018 which sought an inquiry into the circumstances behind the tragedy.
Speaking in the Dáil at the time, Mr O'Callaghan said a subsequent scoping report which was led by retired judge Gerard Haughton and published in July 2023, would be sent to the Oireachtas' Justice Committee in order to consider its findings.
ADVERTISEMENT
In response to a call by Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy for the rollout of a public inquiry, Mr O'Callaghan vowed to keep his 'mind open', insisting a 'definitive answer' to that request could not be provided at that juncture.
However, in a statement issued ahead of tomorrow's resumption of Dáil business, Shane's mother said Mr O'Callaghan would formally address the State's handling of Shane's death tomorrow.
"We note Minister O'Callaghan will make an apology to Shane on Tuesday,' she said.
"Shane's case raises serious issues about how the criminal justice system works and how it ought to work.
"We await the apology on Tuesday."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
Jarring figures reveal domestic violence epidemic across Ireland
Gardai are receiving almost 1,000 reports of domestic abuse and sexual violence every week. The shocking new figures were provided by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan in response to Labour TD Marie Sherlock, who warned the country is in the grip of a 'domestic violence epidemic'. There were 19,417 reports of domestic and sexual abuse across the country up until May 27. The highest case numbers were in the Dublin Metropolitan Western region (1,874), followed by the Dublin Metropolitan Northern region (1,582), Louth-Cavan-Meath (1,329), Wexford-Wicklow (1,283), Meath-Westmeath (1,211), Kildare-Carlow (1,196), and Dublin Metropolitan South (1,195). Gardai are receiving almost 1,000 reports of domestic abuse and sexual violence every week. Pic: MementoJpeg/Getty Images And Mr O'Callaghan indicated the scale of the problem could be even higher, stressing the figures are not 'reflective of the full breadth of incidents'. He added: 'I have been advised by An Garda Síochána that they intend to publish a more comprehensive report relating to these matters.' The figures follow the publication of research by Women's Aid which found victims of domestic abuse are being 'retraumatised' during court proceedings. Ms Sherlock said figures 'support the Women's Aid report on the pervasiveness of domestic violence'. The Dublin Central TD told the MoS: 'This must act as a wake-up call for the manner in which our family law system can be used to both perpetuate and exacerbate the abuse and increase the risk to the victim and crucially also to children. 'If we are to live up to the zero-tolerance system all parties have espoused, we have to get real about making serious changes to our family law system.' There were 19,417 reports of domestic and sexual abuse across the country up until May 27. Pic: Getty Images The Labour Health spokeswoman agreed with the Women's Aid research findings that the family court system must be more domestic violence and abuse (DVA) focused. Social Democrats children's spokesman Aidan Farrelly said 'we need to move to a trauma informed code of practice'. This would involve 'training for… solicitors, gardaí, judges, so that we create a system where the voice of the child, often in precarious circumstances, can be heard.' The Kildare North TD noted: 'Any interaction with the justice scenario is traumatic, and we should consider dealing with children in a place of convenience to them rather than in courts.' Regarding the figures, Mr O'Callaghan stressed he is 'committed to combating all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence'. He said: 'Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV), set out an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin these crimes. 'An Garda Síochána and my department continue to work hard to strengthen trust and confidence in the system, so that victims will feel confident to report what has happened to them and get justice.'
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Nearly 19,500 cases of domestic abuse reported to gardai so far this year
Nearly 19,500 domestic abuse incidents have been reported to gardai so far this year, shocking new figures have revealed. Of these, one-third of the incidents were reported in Dublin. However, Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan also warned that this is not the full picture of domestic and gender-based violence incidents and gardai will provide more comprehensive data soon. Labour's Marie Sherlock said gardai must ensure there are enough supports in place to support people who have been brave enough to contact them in the first instance. She asked Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan to confirm the number of reported domestic and sexual-based violence incidents so far this year in each garda district. The data provided included cases that had been logged on the Garda Pulse system as Breach of a Barring Order and Breach of an Emergency Barring Order'. It also included any incident type that was recorded as having a 'domestic abuse' motive. Between the start of the year and May 27, 19,417 cases were reported. Of those, 6,267 incidents were reported in the six Dublin Garda districts (33%). The largest number of reports was in the Northern district of the Dublin Metropolitan Region, where 1,552 people reported domestic abuse. And 1,329 incidents were reported in the Louth/Cavan/Monaghan area, 1,283 in Wexford/Wicklow, and 1,196 in Kildare/Carlow. The lowest number of reports was in Sligo/Leitrim, where there were still 335 reports. Minister O'Callaghan warned Ms Sherlock this was not the 'full breadth of incidents that could be regarded as domestic and sexual based violence'. He said: 'An Garda Siochana and my Department are continuing to work hard to strengthen trust and confidence in the system, so that victims will feel confident to report what has happened to them and get justice. 'The nationwide rollout of Divisional Protective Service Units has ensured that when victims of crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence present to gardai, they are met with a consistently high standard of specialist assistance. 'This is not reflective of the full breadth of incidents that could be regarded as domestic and sexual based violence.' Ms Sherlock told the Irish Sunday Mirror that gardai must ensure there is enough support in place for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. She said: 'When you look at certain parts of Dublin, there's certainly a frightening level being reported. 'It requires a huge amount of very sensitive and delicate policing because you're dealing with a complicated set of factors.'
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Gardai to review Tina Satchwell and Michael Gaine investigations
The investigations into the murders of Tina Satchwell and Michael Gaine, whose bodies were not found during initial searches after their disappearance, will be reviewed. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that 'in hindsight' it may have been 'very obvious' where Mrs Satchwell's remains were secretly buried. Mr Harris said a report will be compiled and given to Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan on Ms Satchwell's disappearance, while the case of Mr Gaine is undergoing a peer review. Tina Satchwell. Earlier this week, Richard Satchwell was given a life sentence for the murder of his wife Tina at their home in Co Cork. The British truck driver, 58, had denied murdering his wife between March 19 and 20, 2017. The jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin reached the unanimous verdict last Friday after nine hours and 28 minutes of deliberations. Pic: An Garda Síochána Missing Persons Ms Satchwell's skeletal remains were found buried under the stairs of the couple's home in Youghal, Co. Cork, in October 2023, more than six years after her husband reported her missing. The house had been searched in 2017 but nothing was found. In a separate case, the remains of Mr Gaine, a farmer from Co. Kerry, were discovered in a slurry tank on his farmland in May, two months after he was reported missing by his wife. The farmyard had been previously searched as part of the investigation. Tina Satchwell. Speaking about the investigation of Ms Satchwell's disappearance, Mr Harris said the 2017 search did 'harvest' some 'huge information', which was 'crucial' in the re-examination of the case. Speaking at the Garda College in Templemore, Co. Tipperary, he said: 'The initial investigation was hamstrung because of the lack of information in comparison to the later re-examination of this matter. 'There's far more information to hand, which gave us real grounds then for actual suspicion and then inquiries that we could lead. Michael (Mike) Gaine. Pic: '[In] hindsight, some of these things can seem very obvious, but in the moment, what was known, what was being said in terms of sighting, what was being said in terms of the victim by her husband, and one has to recognise the victimology that was being applied here. 'The coercive control that obviously she was subject to for many years, her isolation in that particular community, that meant that there was very few other people that we could speak to [about] what Tina Satchwell's life was like. 'Yes, the house was searched in 2017. Forensic scientists also accompanied that search. It was subject to thorough examination and looked for blood splatter. None was found.' He said the initial investigation will be subject to a review. 'There are definitely lessons that we wish to learn from all of these homicides, where it's missing persons and then converts some time later to a homicide investigation.' He added: 'We've already reviewed all our missing person reports nationally. We found no other suspected homicide cases. 'Then following the Michael Gaine investigation, we're subjecting that to peer review, as I do think there's learning for us around those who would commit crime and then attempt to dispose of the body, and often are successful in disposing of the body,' he added.
