A man who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of his fiancee's brother will be sentenced on January 26th by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Geoffrey Cotter was the driver of a car involved in a serious accident on the M50 in which his passenger, David Noonan (24), was killed.
Cotter (35), Hillcrest Close, Lucan, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death, failing to report an accident to gardaí in a timely fashion, driving without insurance or licence and fraudulent use of insurance and road tax discs on November 13th, 2003.
Judge Desmond Hogan was told Cotter has five previous convictions for road traffic and public order offences. He was convicted of dangerous driving in 1986, driving without a licence or insurance in 1988 and was disqualified for three years last March for drunk driving.
He was also caught driving over the limit and without insurance on the night of a benefit party for Mr Noonan.
Cotter has two children with Mr Noonan's sister to whom he is now engaged and with whom he has been in a relationship for seven years. His fiancee and her parents were in court. David's father, Christopher Noonan, asked Judge Hogan to be lenient on Cotter who was now involved in raising David's son. Mr Noonan said he spoke for his whole family when he asked for Cotter not to be jailed.
Judge Hogan ordered a probation and welfare service report.