Jail term for killing nine-year-old 'pathetic', family says

A County Tyrone family have condemned the sentencing of a man jailed for five years for killing their nine-year-old son in a hit-and-run crash as "truly pathetic".

Ronan Wilson, from Kildress, died after he was hit by a car being driven by Sergee Kelly at more than 100 km/h (62mph) on Atlantic Way in Bundoran in County Donegal, where the speed limit was 50 km/h (31mph).

Kelly, 24, of Upper Mullaghmore, County Sligo admitted dangerous driving causing death, failing to offer assistance, failing to stop and failing to remain at the scene of the incident.

During sentencing on Friday he was also given a 20-year driving ban for what the judge called his "extremely callous" actions.

Following the sentence, Ronan's uncle, Stephen MacAuley, read out a statement on behalf of the family.

It said "no sentence could ever bring Ronan back", but that "five years for the life of our boy is truly pathetic".

"Sergee Kelly mowed down our wee boy and with this he drove a knife through our hearts," the statement added.

"He then fled the scene, a remorseless coward.

"He then partied the night away while our child was dying in the street.

"In doing this, he turned the knife and our family has been in agony ever since."

On Tuesday, the court was read evidence from a document prepared by a garda (Irish police officer).

It outlined how Ronan was hit by a car, likely travelling between 105-110 km/h, as he returned from the shops with his older brother to the family's camper van on 23 September 2023.

Ronan died at the scene and a pathologist said the cause was catastrophic brain injury.

The court heard Kelly was driving so fast that the car had left the scene before Ronan's body landed on the road 58m from the point of impact.

It also heard Kelly fled the scene and went on a drugs and alcohol "binge" after the collision.

Kelly was apprehended the next morning after his car was tracked using CCTV.

The officer's evidence said if Kelly had been driving at the speed limit he would have had two seconds to react to Ronan being in the middle of the road.

The court heard Kelly's car was modified with tinted windows which restricted his view.

Gardaí said his seat was inclined back meaning his "vision was greatly reduced".

The prosecution barrister said CCTV footage showed the force of the collision made the child airborne.

During sentencing at Donegal Circuit Court in Letterkenny on Friday, Kelly stared straight ahead and remained silent as the judge spoke.

Judge John Aylmer said Kelly was "very much in the upper end on the scale of offending" and he had "a very high degree of culpability".

He said the sentence before mitigating circumstances would be eight years, but the fact Kelly had pleaded guilty entitled him to a reduction of the sentence.

Judge Aylmer said: "You have expressed remorse. I accept that you are remorseful and that you do think about this on a daily basis and you'll feel remorse about this for the rest of your life."

The court was told Kelly had previous convictions for assault and careless driving.

In the dock on Tuesday, he apologised to the Wilson family.

"It's horrible to me so I can't imagine what it's been like for you," he said.

"I was careless with my speed that night. It won't bring back your wee boy but hope pleading guilty brings some closure".

For Ronan's grieving family the sentence is little comfort.

"We are just lost without him" said Ronan's father Dean Wilson.

"It was his birthday there on Friday past. We just went to the grave and all his wee classmates came to the grave as well," he said.

"That's all we could do for him, sing happy birthday. He should have been 11. He only got to nine and a half".

Speaking ahead of the sentencing, Ronan's mother Emma said she felt like she was "falling apart".

"It doesn't really matter what he gets because it's never going to bring Ronan back," she said.

"He was a wee rascal, but he had a heart of gold, and he was just loved by everybody, and had so many friends.

"Nobody wants to do anything anymore because Ronan's not here. He was the baby."

In March, Donegal County Council put speed bumps along the road where Ronan was killed.

It is move that has come too late for the Wilson family.

"I feel angry that they weren't up before now. And it's taken Ronan's death to get them," his mother said.

His father said they "should have been up years ago".

"It's a very, very busy place with amusements, Water World, go-kart track, all the apartments and things on both sides of the road there," he said.

"It's madness that they didn't have speed bump ramps up there years and years ago."