A former garda who admitted dangerous driving causing the death of a 45-year-old man in Drogheda two years ago has been jailed for six years.
Niall Mac Eneaney was killed in a hit-and-run incident on the Rathmullen Road in Drogheda in the early hours of the 17 March 2024.
Michael Ball previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and failing to keep the vehicle at the scene.
He was a serving garda at Drogheda Garda station at the time of the fatal hit and run.
During a sentencing hearing before Dundalk Circuit Court, a judge said that Ball's behaviour that night fell far short of the standards for a member of An Garda Síochána or any member of society.
Judge Dara Hayes said that Ball had left Niall Mac Eneaney to die at the side of the road.
He said that nothing the court can do will ever begin to address the enormous loss suffered by the Mac Eneaney family and that whatever penalty imposed cannot be a measure of the life of Mr Mac Eneaney.
He sentenced Ball to seven years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended.
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Ball was also disqualified from driving for a period of 12 years.
The court previously heard that Ball had resigned from the force after entering guilty pleas.
Mr Mac Eneaney was a well-known figure in the Louth GAA community, having played senior hurling for the county and managed St Fechin's club.
He had been walking home from a night out socialising with friends on the night of the incident.
Investigating Officer Alma Gavin for Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, gave evidence about the case during a hearing last month.
It had been referred to Fiosrú by gardaí.
'Clearly intoxicated'
The court heard that gardaí received a call at approximately 2.30am on 17 March 2024 from a taxi driver who saw a man lying face down on the grass verge of Rathmuillen Road.
They attended the scene and found the man unresponsive. Gardaí called for an ambulance, but when they lowered the zip from his hood, it was clear that he had suffered catastrophic injuries and had died.
Mr Mac Eneaney's cause of death was multiple injuries consistent with a motor vehicle collision in which he was a pedestrian.
On examining the scene, gardaí found pieces of bumper lights and a partial registration plate.
A near complete registration plate was found further down the road, registered to Ball.
The court heard that he was staying with garda colleagues in Donore at the time.
When gardaí arrived at the house, the Skoda car was parked in the furthermost part of the farmyard, with the damaged part up against a gate. The window had been shattered.
Ms Gavin said that gardaí described Ball as being asleep in a chair in the house, in a "comatose sleep", and they had to shake him to wake him up.
He was found to be "clearly intoxicated".
Ball confirmed to them he had been working until 7pm and then went drinking with colleagues.
He said that he did not drive after 7pm.
Ball confirmed that he was the owner of the car and but said he could not remember getting home.
When gardaí informed him that the man was deceased, the court heard, he became upset.
The two other gardaí who lived in the house said they had been drinking in Ball's company but had left before him.
CCTV footage showed that he was socialising earlier that evening with colleagues and friends in a number of establishments, drinking beer, at one point from a shot glass.
The court heard that he returned to Drogheda Garda Station at 1.56am to get his car, before driving home.
The collision happened around two minutes later.
The speed limit on the road was 50km/h and an analysis found that Ball had been driving between 107km/h and 110km/h before the collision.
The rear brake lights were activated 0.24 seconds before the impact, and the braking caused him to slow to 86km/h-109km/h for the impact.
CCTV footage showed Mr Mac Eneaney being thrown into the air.
He was found 34m from the pedestrian crossing where the collision occurred.
Ball was interviewed by Fiosrú on 5 April 2024, in which he accepted that he was the owner of the car.
The following month, he submitted a pre-prepared statement through his solicitor.
He said that he went out after working until 9pm, decided to go home early, at around 1.30am, and got his car from Drogheda Garda Station.
In the statement, Ball said that a male suddenly ran in front of the vehicle and collided with the passenger side.
He said that he was filled with unbearable remorse.
Ball said that he did not stop because of "sheer panic" and had "no answer" as to why he did not provide assistance to Mr Mac Eneaney.
Ball's lawyer, Senior Counsel Rod O'Hanlon, said that a letter of apology was presented to gardaí to pass on to the family.
He said that his client has expressed "genuine remorse" and entered an early guilty plea in the case.
The defence barrister said that Ball's personal situation has been deeply impac…
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