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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
John Hand

Wife will 'never forgive' man who killed husband in Dublin crash as he's released from jail after three years

The wife of a man who died in a crash caused by a dangerous driver says she will "never" accept an apology from his killer who is due to be released from prison.

Father-of-two Hong Qing Qu lost his life as he drove his car home from work on November 17, 2015 in west Dublin.

Michael Jones ploughed into him after breaking a red light and driving around twice the speed limit.

READ MORE: Irish public urged to help solve 16-year mystery

"The Little General" Jones, 25, was sentenced to five years behind bars in January 2019 after a jury found him guilty of dangerous driving causing death.

But the Irish Mirror has learned Jones, from Blanchardstown, is to be released from Mountjoy prison next week with remission taken into account.

Jones' trial heard how he had expressed remorse for the incident.

But speaking from her home yesterday, Hong Qing's wife Li Liu told how she would "never" take an apology from Jones.

And she also said it's "very hard to accept" the sentence he received.

She told the Irish Mirror: "In China, these types of car accident, it's 10 or 20 years. It's really unfair. He was only 33. Now [Jones] comes back at 25. After this, his life starts. My husband's life stopped."

But the brave mum insists that life has to move on but Hong Qing will always be with them.

Speaking from the kitchen of their home where a portrait of Hong Qing sits, Li Liu told us: "I dont want to take us back to the bad memories. We are living peacefully and happy. He is always in our hearts."

She recalled how Hong Qing did everything around the house so she could concentrate on being a mum.

And Li Liu said: "His two children's blood is here. His picture is here as we don't want the kids to forget their dad. I believe if he was here, he would be a very good father."

Hong Qing was an only child and his parents are based back in his native China.

Li Liu told how she still sends pictures to them of Hong Qing's two children, who are now aged seven and nine.

They last visited them in 2019, before the Covid pandemic.

Li Liu explained: "They are still very upset.

"I try my best, we video call them and I send them messages and pictures to them. They don't want to say too much because he is their only son.

"Now it is only the two of them in China. It's very different."

Jones spent his sentence in Mountjoy prison, where he was pictured with close pal and mob boss Jason O'Connor before he was released in February 2021 after serving a sentence for a knife attack.

When Jones was sentenced, he was also disqualified from driving for life.

His trial heard that Hong Qing was driving home from work when his car was struck by an Audi A3 driven by Jones.

The victim sustained serious injuries and was brought to James Connolly Hospital in Dublin where he was pronounced dead.

Gardai were able to determine that Jones had driven through a red light and was travelling between 115km/h and 137km/h at the point of collision. The speed limit of roads in the area was 60km/h, the court heard.

Jones was taken from the scene by men who put him into a Volkswagen Passat and drove him to a hospital, where they left him lying on the ground. Jones gave a false name and said he had injured his leg in a fall.

Judge Patricia Ryan said that Jones was driving well in excess of the speed limit and that he went through a red light which had been red for a “considerable time” prior to the collision.

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