Driver in Monaghan debs crash that killed two teenagers had driven at average speed of 139 km/h

THE SENTENCING HEARING of a man who admitted to dangerous driving causing the deaths of two Monaghan teenagers has heard how his passengers begged him to slow down.

61-year-old Anthony McGinn of Drumloo, Newbliss pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of 17-year-old Kiea McCann and 16 year old Dlava Mohammed. 

On 31 July 2023, Kiea and Dlava were making their way to the debs ball in the Western Arms Hotel along with Dlava’s sister Avin.

The car they were travelling in, driven by McGinn, struck a tree at Legnakelly, Clones, killing Kiea, Dlava, and seriously injuring Avin.

At a sentencing hearing this morning at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court. Senior Investigating Officer Ann-Marie Lardner told the court the primary cause of the accident was speed.

According to an extensive forensic report, McGinn’s average speed between Clones and the scene of the collision near the New Line junction was calculated to 138.85 km/h.

The speed limit on that road is 80 km/h In Garda interviews, the court heard that McGinn said he couldn’t remember anything that happened, he only remembered getting into the car in Clones.

Victim impact statements were also read in court. Mohammed Mohammed, Dlava’s father said how the light from his wife’s eyes is now gone, and he wakes up with a broken heart every day.

He described how his family left Syria in 2017 to chase their dreams, but now Dlava will never get the chance.

Avin, who suffered serious injuries in the incident, said the crash changed her life forever, that it was supposed to be a happy night getting ready with her sister and her best friend for the debs.

She says she told McGinn to slow down multiple times, and then everything went black. She suffered five broken bones in her legs along with numerous other injuries such as fractured ribs, a punctured lung, and required multiple surgeries.

The incident left her with life-changing injuries and she described how she can no longer draw, and had to attend speech and language therapy.

Kiea’s father, Frankie McCann also read a statement to the court. He said Kiea was a vibrant young girl with so much drive, who had aspirations to be a carer or social worker and who, despite her dyslexia, achieved merits and distinctions in her Leaving Cert.

He remembers how performing CPR on her and her best friend in vain will stay with him forever. McCann says McGinn showed no remorse for anything.

A staement read by Frankie on behalf of Teresa, Kiea’s mother, described how her daughter’s life has been robbed and that she received a headstone as her 18th birthday present.

Kiea’s sisters also read statements saying how much they missed her, and how McGinn had destroyed their families’ lives.

Defence solicitors appealed to the court to consider Anthony McGinn’s lack of previous convictions, his low risk of reoffending, and his expression of remorse to the families when passing sentence.

Judge John Aylmer is due to impose sentence on McGinn next Wednesday pending agreement from all parties.