A 32-year-old man has been jailed for six years for dangerous driving that caused the deaths of three women on their way home from a summer holiday.

The court heard how Jason Rowntree of Plantation House, Kingscourt, Co Louth collided head on with a Toyota Auris car on July 21, killing all occupants.

Margaret McGonagle (69) from Bruckless, Co Donegal along with her daughter, Mairead O’Neill Mundy (37), and their neighbour Rachel Battles (39) died as a result of the accident at Aclint Bridge, Ardee, County Louth on July 21, 2017.

They were travelling home from Dublin Airport at around 12.30am after a family holiday in Turkey.

The accused had consumed between three and five pints of Guinness in a pub prior to the accident. Rowntree, who had no recollection of the accident, was seriously injured.

Rowntree pleaded guilty to the dangerous driving charge before Christmas at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court and today Judge Patrick Quinn handed down sentence.

He sentenced Rowntree to six years with the final two years suspended on conditions that including the accused attend alcohol awareness and counselling programmes.

The Judge said the accused crossed a continuous white line onto the opposite side of the road and collided with the Toyota Auris car.

The Judge however, remarked he couldn’t ignore the statement of a lorry driver who told Gardai a Black passat Volkswagen pulled out in front of him from a side road and then pulled up onto the hard shoulder.

The Judge said it was not a case of a momentary lack of attention, while accepting the accused didn’t intend the damage that he caused.

The accused had accepted responsibility for the accident and had a clear record. He accepted his remorse was genuine.

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