A grieving father caught speeding at 170kph was rushing to get home quickly after hearing his son had an accident shortly after another son had been killed tragically.
Alex Coyle appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with dangerous driving on November 15th, 2016.
Mr Coyle explained that he had been telephoned by his wife Susanna and told that his son had suffered a serious fall.
The court was told that Mr Coyle was still suffering following the loss of another son, two-year-old son Joshua, in tragic circumstances in 2014.
Little Joshua was killed when a family friend struck him in his van while reversing out of Mr Coyle’s home at Creeveglebe.
Solicitor for the accused, Mr Seamus Gunne explained that his client was speeding home because he thought he was reliving his first tragedy all over again.
He said his client was still suffering from the incident
“He had been telephoned and told his son had fallen and hit his head. He thought the worst.
“Eighteen months previously he had lost another son in a tragic accident in the garden of the family home. He has not been the better of it since.
“He carried little Joshua in his arms to the hospital. This has been a horrific time for the family.
“He simply feared the worst and thought ‘Here we go again,’ said Mr Gunne.
Mr Gunne added that his client was a very responsible parent who had simply feared the worst when he got the phonecall from his distressed wife.
Judge Paul Kelly offered his sympathies to Mr Coyle and his family.
However he warned Mr Coyle that if he continued to drive at this speed then he could well have a tragedy revisited upon himself on his or another family.
He reduced the charge from dangerous driving to careless driving and fined Mr Coyle €350.