Four-year jail term for woman who consumed 12 alcoholic drinks and caused friend's death in crash

LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago

A CORK WOMAN who downed 12 alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel of her car and causing the death of her friend has been sentenced to 4 years in jail.

Jennifer Thomas, a 46-year-old former model with an address at Oakfield View, Glanmire, Cork, had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Sheila Dunne on 11 February last. 

Sheila Dunne (50), who was described by her daughter as “an amazing woman — worth her weight in gold”, died following a single vehicle crash in Sarsfield Court in Glanmire in Cork last February.

It was the second tragedy for her family as Sheila’s husband Ted had died of Covid 19 in February of 2021. Her death left their two children without any living parent.

The special educational needs assistant was just 1.5km from her home in Glanmire when the crash that ended her life occurred.

This morning, Thomas was sentenced to four years by Cork Circuit Criminal Court Judge Helen Boyle. 

The court had heard previously that Thomas drove after drinking a cocktail of drinks which included prosecco, wine and gin, in the hours before the crash.

Following the sentencing Sheila’s daughter Lilly urged motorists not to drive drunk.

“Drunk driving is a choice. A choice that ruins lives. Accountability is everything. I carry a life sentence of los, love and shattered lives.

“What happened to my Mam was senseless and preventable and it haunts me every day,” she said. 

Judge’s comments

Judge Boyle said that no sentence could bring justice for the family of Sheila Dunne following the “devastating loss” of a much loved mother, daughter, cousin, sister and friend. 

She praised Lilly Dunne, the 23-year-old daughter of Sheila Dunne, for her bravery in delivering her victim impact statement herself.

She also commended her for the level of responsibility she had shown in taking on the care of her younger brother TJ who has autism and is non-verbal now that he has lost both parents.

Judge Boyle said that “sustained poor driving” led Jennifer Thomas to mount a ditch at Sarsfield Court in Glanmire in Cork on 11 February last.

She noted that Thomas had fallen asleep behind the wheel twice whilst stopped at traffic lights. When the lights turned green other motorists beeped at her jeep but she didn’t wake. They were forced to drive around her.

She said that one person knocked on the window of the jeep telling Thomas to park her car.

During the course of her erratic driving, Thomas narrowly missed hitting two pedestrians.

She knocked down traffic cones, took two u-turns and drove on the wrong side of the road. The occupants of one car became so concerned about her driving that they followed her on the road.

In sentencing, Judge Boyle said that she accepted that Thomas had experienced certain difficulties in life.

 “It is clear that Ms Thomas had a difficult childhood. She has had over the years had attendances with mental health services. She suffers from both depression and anxiety and I accept she made an intentional attempt on her life in October of 2024. She has a long history of mental health difficulties.

“She understands and accepts she caused the death and has caused enormous loss to her (Sheila’s) friends and family,” the judge said. 

Garda evidence

Det Garda Mark Durcan had told the judge that Thomas, of Oakfield View in Glanmire, Co Cork, had consumed espresso martinis, Prosecco, gin, mimosa and tonic and wine on 11 February having gone for lunch with Sheila Dunne in Douglas in Cork.

Durcan said that the crash occurred when Thomas drove erratically around a left bend.

 “She (Thomas) failed to straighten the vehicle, (went on to a grass verge, mounted a walled kerb) and overturned on to the driver’s side at 7.31pm. Her phone was on Bluetooth and auto-contacted emergency services by 999.”

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Thomas told emergency services when they arrived at the scene of the crash at Sarsfield Court that she was the one who had been behind the wheel.

However, she informed a garda that Sheila, who was in the front passenger seat of the jeep, was driving as she had “more control”. The garda said this was false. 

Durcan indicated that during garda interviews, Thomas was shown CCTV footage from the night of the crash.

She then accepted she was driving. She said she had no recollection of the incident due to concussion. However, she was found not to have been concussed.

Victim impact statement

Lilley Dunne made a victim impact statement on behalf of herself and her brother, whom she now cares for following the loss of both his parents. She said that her mother always referred to TJ as “the best boy in the world”.

 “He (TJ) is struggling to understand why she is no longer with us. It breaks my heart in to even more pieces when he says ‘I want Mommy please’ and I will never be able to make that better for him.

“When he is upset, I remind him that Mommy is with Daddy and they are ‘Up in the Sky.” It is impossible to gauge the extent of the trauma he has endured from this.”

Lilley said that she and her brother had already suffered the “unbearable” loss of their father Ted.

“Now to experience the agonising loss of Mom, feels like a cruel twist of fate that I cannot comprehend.

“On 9 February, 2021 my dad died unexpectedly from Covid. We had to watch him take his last few breaths as they removed his ventilator, and then on 13 February, 2024 I had to watch this all over again: watch my Mom’s heart slow to a halt.

“This experience is what I can only describe as hell. My beautiful Mom was taken from us far too soon at the young age of fifty, in a car crash caused by a reckless decision made by a selfish individual. This choice has altered our lives forever.

“We spent two days at my mom’s bedside hoping for a miracle. Out of respect, I made the decision to allow Jennifer to come in to say goodbye to my Mom. Knowing what I know now my decision would have been different,” she said.  

Lilley Dunne said that Thomas’ absence of remorse had made the “grieving process so much more challenging.”

“It is incredibly painful to know that someone who withhold the truth in such a devastating way and it makes it harder to heal from this loss.”

The grieving daughter added that the life of her mother was “robbed” from her.

“She has only started to live her life again after Dad’s passing. She will never get the opportunity to finish her bucket list, to see out the drams she had for her future or to watch TJ and I grow up,” she added.

Sheila Dunne’s mother Esther O’Brien said that she was “heartbroken” to have lost her daughter to a drunk driver.

“This loss has not only shattered my life but has also left two precious grandchildren without their mother. My daughter was my biggest support. She was always there for me, providing love, care and companionship. We shared a deep bond, and she was my confidante, my source of strength.

“Losing her has taken away my main support system at a time in my life when I need it most.

“This is something no mother could anticipate. I grapple with anger and sadness — not just for my daughter but also for the reckless choice that led to this loss. It is hard to trust and feel safe in the world when someone’s selfish decision has had such devastating consequences.

“My daughter was not only my child but my life source. Her absence has changed everything for me and for my grandchildren. Only for them life is not worth living. I will carry this pain with me for the rest of my life,” she said. 

Mitigation

The court heard that Thomas had previous convictions for road traffic offences and larceny.

Counsel for the Defence, Tom Creed, SC, emphasised that witnesses who arrived at the scene of the crash described his client as being hugely upset and concerned about Sheila Dunne.

“(One eye witness) said she (Jennifer) was saying ‘please wake up, please wake up’ to Miss Dunne. They tried to calm her. She (Jennifer) was saying ‘How can I live without her?” She was concerned for her friend. She (Jennifer) was hysterical. She was saying ‘look after Sheila.’ She appeared to be confused,” he said.

Creed added that unfortunately following this accident all sorts of “unfounded allegations” circulated in Cork. 

“ One was that a phone call was made for someone to come to scene to move bodies. One was that she  (Thomas) was arrested for a charge of perverting course of justice which was never case. She voluntarily came to the station,” he said.