Laois student Joe Drennan’s killer to be sentenced today

Criminal gang member Kieran Fogarty will learn this Thursday how many years he faces behind bars for killing award-winning Laois student Joe Drennan through his dangerous driving, shooting up a house with women and children present and violent disorder.

The offences took place in a six-month period in 2023.

Fogarty was described as an “animal” by a sister of Joe Drennan in her victim impact statement.

Mr Drennan, aged 21, of Knocknagad, Camross was a fourth-year journalism student in University of Limerick, and editor-in-chief of the Limerick Voice publication. He wanted to “make the world a better place”.

Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Mawe, laid out the evidence of the four separate dates with the assistance of Inspector Padraigh Sutton and Detective Garda Shane O’Neill in December. It took a whole day in Limerick Criminal Circuit Court. Fogarty pleaded guilty to all matters. 

Sarah Drennan said her family’s life sentence began on the night of October 13, 2023.

“Joe received a death sentence that night. Kieran Fogarty was judge, jury and executioner - he killed our Joe,” said Ms Drennan.

Fogarty, aged 21, of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston pleaded guilty to a number of offences including dangerous driving causing death, failing to offer assistance at the scene and criminal damage. Fogarty was on bail at the time. One of the conditions was not to drive.

Mr Drennan was waiting for a bus home after finishing a shift around 9.45pm. Insp Sutton said that  Fogarty was driving at 122kmph on the Dublin Road.  

“It was motorway speed in a 50km zone,” said Insp Sutton. The BMW was being driven by Fogarty on the wrong side of the road, went through a red light, struck a glancing blow to a stationary car causing Fogarty's car to spin.

“It collided with a wall. The vehicle pinned Joe Drennan under the car,” said Insp Sutton.

Minutes before the collision Fogarty had sent a video of himself speeding to friends. The garda inspector said Joe Drennan would not have felt anything and did not suffer.

Mr O’Sullivan gave the pathologist’s evidence who said Mr Drennan suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including serious head injuries. Insp Sutton said Fogarty spent 14 seconds in the car after the collision, cleaned it - which shows he was “forensically aware”, before fleeing the scene.

Fogarty told gardai he did not know he had struck someone and would have "stuck around" if he had known.

“I am very, very sorry for what I have done to that family. It should have been me that died. I am very sorry for what happened to that young fella,” said Fogarty to gardai.

Insp Sutton said Fogarty’s apologies “rang hollow” and were “tactical” in comparison to messages he sent to family and criminal associates.

Gardai secured access to his Facebook account. One message from Fogarty to a criminal read: “I bounced off that wall and took that young fella with me.”

“I’m after Killin a 21-year-old and a woman,” and “I got to wipe down the car down a small bit” were messages sent by Fogarty.

Despite pleas from his mother, Fogarty said he would not hand himself in.

“What do you want me to do, go up to the Barracks and say I killed someone stone dead on the road and I don’t even think they know it was me,” said Fogarty, who has a total of 46 previous convictions including five dangerous driving.

Mr O’Sullivan said four months earlier at 1.16pm on June 4, Fogarty shot at a house on Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston where women and children were present.

The court heard it was “most likely" a semi-automatic pistol and the bullets struck a garden wall.

“Luckily, nobody was struck,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

Fogarty told gardai he was “bombed out of my head on drugs that day”, that three males threatened him with a handgun and he “left off four shots to scare them”.

READ MORE: Leinster Express reporter scoops prestigious sports journalism award

Fogarty was arrested at a property in North Cork over a week later. The court heard when armed gardai forced entry to the house two men were flushing cocaine down the toilet while Fogarty was walking down the stairs.

Fogarty later told gardai that his associates had shouted there was gardai at the door. “I thought it was a joke,” said Fogarty.

Judge Colin Daly will pass sentence this Thursday afternoon in Limerick Criminal Circuit Court.