Longford man who 'decimated' car in crash is jailed

A Longford man who drank excessively and then crashed his car with two passengers causing injuries has been sentenced to four years in prison and given a 15 year driving ban.

Daniel Maguire of Aughagragh, Ballinalee, Longford pleaded guilty at Longford Circuit Court to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm on October 1, 2021 at Kilmurray, Mullinalaghta, Co Longford.

The defendant, who had been travelling in his car with his cousin Ian Maguire and friend Jamie Flynn also pleaded guilty to drink driving on the same date and at the same location, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

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Ian Maguire sustained a fractured hip, loss of teeth, and a cut under his chin.

Detective Garda Wayne Gilgunn said he was on duty in the Granard area when he received a report at 11.30pm that an ambulance was seeking assistance following a single vehicle crash.

“When I arrived three men were lying on the road being treated,” he said. “I spoke to Daniel Maguire about the incident and there was a strong smell of alcohol from him.”

Det Gilgunn stated that he observed the black Audi A4 that Maguire had been driving was ‘extensively damaged’ and a short time later the three men were brought to Cavan Hospital.

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The court heard the paramedics informed Gardaí that Maguire had been removed from the vehicle on the driver’s side.

Det Gilgunn stated that on October 18, 2021, Daniel Maguire presented himself at Granard Garda Station and he made full admissions.

Ian Maguire told officers that himself, Daniel Maguire, Jamie Flynn and two more friends had been drinking and socialising at a pub in Gowna earlier in the evening.

The court heard Gardaí established that Maguire arrived at the pub at around 6.30pm and he had six bottles, seven pints and after his first pint he started drinking shots of sambuca.

The defendant was described as highly intoxicated when he left the pub, and he turned
right towards Granard in his car and then ‘lifted it off the road’.

Det Gilgunn said they established Daniel Maguire had swerved into the grass on the side of the road and he had been driving very fast and taking the corners very hard before hecrashed into a ditch.

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Front seat passenger Jamie Flynn was said to have been as ‘pale as a ghost’ following the collision and not responding, but he eventually responded.

“They described having difficulty getting Ian out of the car as the vehicle had effectively caved in,” Det Gilgunn added. “They were lucky it was such a strong car.”The driver Daniel Maguire, Jamie Flynn and Ian Maguire were all taken to Cavan General Hospital for treatment.

Gardaí spoke to a barmaid from the pub who said Daniel Maguire was drunk and she tried to take his keys, but he would not agree to that and she later heard there had been a crash.

Officers obtained CCTV which captured the defendant getting in and out of the vehicle prior to the collision and he agreed it was him.

Gardaí asked him if he had been drinking, and he replied he ‘had a couple’ but he had little recollection of the hours before the collision.

Daniel Maguire viewed photographs of the wrecked car, and he stated it looked like he never attempted to take the corner.“It looked like something went wrong or I fell asleep,” he added.

Judge Kenneth Connolly viewed the images and stated the vehicle had been ‘decimated’.

“The passenger side of the vehicle seems to be relatively non-existent,” he said. “It shows something that used to be a motor car but a very strong motor car is now an entanglement of metal and glass.”

Judge Connolly heard Daniel Maguire had been serving a driving disqualification when the collision occurred and as a result of prior and subsequent incidents he is currently banned from driving until 2034.

Garda Brendan Mee, a PSV Inspector, concluded the vehicle was ‘extensively damaged’, the tyre thread depths were below the legal limit and there were three different sized tyres fitted.

Daniel Maguire had 22 previous convictions.

The court heard the defendant had been released on bail in relation to the October 1, 2021 offences but he has been in custody since December 31, 2024 when he was detected driving a tractor and breaching his bail conditions.

Sergeant Yvonne Glacken gave evidence of stopping the defendant at Moyne, county Longford having been aware he had been disqualified three months earlier.

Defence barrister Niall Flynn BL, stated Daniel Maguire had been asked to bring his cousin Ian Maguire home and his two passengers had got into the vehicle voluntarily.

“He was fully cooperative with Gardaí and he admitted he was the owner of the car. When he was shown the photographs he was shocked by the damage to the vehicle," he added.

The court heard Mr Maguire, who was deemed to be at a high risk of reoffending, previously told a probation officer two weeks in the Cuan Mhuire residential treatment centre to tackle his addiction ‘was enough’.

However, Mr Flynn said the defendant now realises he has a difficulty with alcohol and he wants to complete a three month programme.

Judge Connolly described Mr Maguire’s driving history as "nothing short of appalling" with a 'shocking' record of disqualification. "He has an absolute disregard for driving bans and no regard for the law whatsoever," he added.

Judge Connolly imposed a four year and nine month prison sentence and suspended the final nine months for two years on a probation supervision bond.

He also disqualified Maguire from driving for 15 years.