Laois calls for sentencing review of Mountrath student Joe Drennan's killer

Laois people have called for changes to sentencing guidelines following the sentencing of Laois student Joe Drennan's killer, Mr Kieran Fogarty. 

Joe Drennan (21) from Mountrath was killed in October 2023 after being struck by a vehicle in a hit and run.

Driver Kieran Fogarty was jailed for six and a half years, which will run concurrently with an eight year sentence imposed on him for an unrelated offence of discharging a firearm in a drive-by shooting.

Family and friends of Mr. Drennan have appealed to the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal this sentence, as it means he will serve no additional time for the killing of Mr. Drennan.

Pictured: Joe Drennan (21) who was tragically killed in a hit and run in Limerick, 2023.

A petition was recently started by the family to amend the current sentencing laws to ensure that multiple sentences for serious crimes, particularly those involving loss of life, are served consecutively rather than concurrently.

Former Sinn Féín TD Brian Stanley, along with his wife Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, have said that "the awful killing of local man Joe Drennan, underlines the clear need for changes to sentencing guidelines that are issued to the judiciary."

"We cannot have a situation where someone, as in Joe Drennan’s case is unlawfully killed, and the perpetrator does not serve one day in prison for the crime," the pair announced.

"We have made representations to the Fianna Fail Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, to initiate the necessary changes, so as to ensure that sentences run consecutively and not concurrently, as they have in this case," the Stanleys' have said.

"Separately, we have also made representation to the DPP, Catherine Pierce, requesting for a review of the sentencing in this case and to refer it to the Court of Criminal Appeal for retrial.

"We cannot tolerate any more situations like this, where some innocent person like Joe Drennan is killed by a person with multiple previous offences and the net result is that they do not serve one day in prison for it," Deputy Stanley and Cllr Dwane Stanley finished.

A solidarity walk was recently held for Mr Drennan in Mountrath GAA grounds, where attendees demanded consecutive sentences for Mr Fogarty, rather than concurrent.