Driver In Wicklow Crash That Killed Teenager Molly Dempsey Spared Jail

The defendant was a minor at the time. He received two years fully suspended with a 10-year driving ban.

A young man who admitted dangerous driving causing the death of 15-year-old Molly Dempsey in a crash in west Wicklow has been spared a custodial sentence.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons because he was a minor at the time of the offence, appeared before Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court this afternoon. Judge Patrick Quinn delivered the final sentence of two years a fully suspended, and a 10-year driving ban for his role in incident almost Molly almost two years ago.

The court previously heard the teenager took his mother’s car without permission in the early hours of May 5th, 2024, despite having no driving licence. He collected Molly before crashing just a short distance from her home in Baltinglass.

A specialist Garda investigation found the vehicle had been travelling at high speed at the time of the collision. Molly suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at Naas General Hospital, despite extensive efforts by emergency services at the scene.

During earlier hearings, the court listened to recordings of four emergency calls made by the driver using Molly’s phone, in which he said he feared she was going to die.

In sentencing, Judge Quinn acknowledged the devastating impact of Molly’s death on her family, while also considering the defendant’s youth, early guilty plea, and cooperation with Gardaí.

Molly, who was the youngest of nine children, was a student at Scoil Chonglais in Baltinglass. Her death marked the third tragedy in her family, following the deaths of her brothers Roy and Killian in previous years.