A drink-driver who narrowly missed six oncoming cars before crashing into a nurse has been jailed.
Alan Craughwell, 35, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Michelle Fallon at Taghmaconnell, Co Roscommon on December 24, 2017.
He was given a wholly suspended two-and-a-half year sentence by Judge Francis Comerford on May 8, last year and banned from driving for 10 years.
However yesterday The Court of Appeal found Craughwell’s sentence to have been “unduly lenient” and he was jailed for two- and-a-half years with the final 15 months suspended.
President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham said it was not a case of “isolated ill-judgment” such as overtaking at the wrong place.
It was “sustained, rank bad driving” by Craughwell, of Retreat Road, Athlone, Co Westmeath, after he had been drinking heavily.
Ms Fallon suffered “very significant injuries” including fractures to both her ankles and was in hospital for one week.
It took her a significant amount of time to return to work on a phased basis and the incident affected her quality of life “very gravely indeed”.
