Man jailed for dangerous driving causing serious harm in Louth

A 55-year-old man whose ex partner told gardaí she believed he had deliberately driven into the back of a lorry to kill her, was last week jailed for four years at Dundalk Circuit Court and was banned from driving for five years.

In finalising his sentencing for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at Feede, Dundalk on May 18th last year, Judge Dara Hayes said Anthony Smyth who is originally from Dublin but has an address at Orchard Villas, Rathfriland Road, Newry had used the car as a weapon.

The defendant was travelling south on the N1, between Junctions 20 and 19, with his former partner of 32 years, when his car, which was skirting between the two lanes, collided with a flatbed trailer - as he approached from behind

Judge Dara Hayes said he was travelling at between 160 and 175kph, well in excess of the speed limit of 120.

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Anthony Smyth claimed he had dropped a lit cigarette in the footwell and had bent to retrieve it, but the judge said to do that in itself was dangerous in the extreme as he was travelling at 50 metres every second and he had a wide hard shoulder available to stop on.

The judge said it had a significant psychological impact on the victim who suffers flashbacks during the day and is unable to sleep.

The court noted the defendant had no previous convictions, but has suffered significantly with his mental health after witnessing a mortar bomb attack in 1992 in which a police constable was killed.

He was assessed as being at low risk of reoffending and was suitable for post release supervision by the Probation Service.

Judge Hayes said Mr Smyth had written a lengthy letter in which he displays genuine remorse and outlined how he's used his time in custody to reflect and says it has not just changed his life, it has also saved it.

The judge said he used the car as a weapon against his ex, and he could easily have killed them both He imposed a five and a half year sentence backdated to May 18th 2024 when he went into custody, with the final 18 months suspended on him entering a good behaviour bond and placing himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months post release.
A charge of endangerment was taken into consideration.