Male driver whose girlfriend died in Kildare accident has jail sentence reduced on appeal

A man who was driving a car that collided with another car, resulting in the death of two women, has had his jail sentence reduced on appeal. James O'Donovan, a 30-year-old from Athy, was the driver in an accident which claimed the life of his 22-year-old girlfriend, Rosanna Potts, and Teresa Kiely, a 49-year-old mother, who was travelling in a separate car with her daughter. Mr O'Donovan had claimed that he and his girlfriend had been arguing in the car during the final few moments before the crash, and that she was hitting him, causing him to become distracted on the road. He received a seven year sentence for dangerous driving at Naas District Court last year, but he appealed the judgement, which he felt was overly severe. The sentence was reduced to five years at the Court of Appeal yesterday, the final year of which is to be suspended.