Former model who caused mum-of-two's death in crash after day ...

Mother-of-three Jennifer Thomas (46) wept as Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that she had consumed 12 drinks over the course of one afternoon in Douglas, Blackrock and Glanmire restaurants and pubs including one Prosecco, one Mimosa, two Espresso Martinis, four gin and tonics and four glasses of red wine.

Judge Helen Boyle was told by Det Garda Mark Durkan that, during her attempt to drive home, the defendant fell asleep behind the steering wheel twice at traffic lights, narrowly missed a pedestrian, ran over several traffic cones, undertook two U-turns and drove on the wrong side of the road.

When questioned after the collision by Gardaí, Ms Thomas said initially that she had been behind the wheel - but then suggested that mother-of-two Sheila Dunne, who was in the front passenger seat of the commercial jeep, may have been driving as she had "more control".

One witness at the collision scene said Ms Thomas was in a very agitated state and kept repeating: "How can I live without her? Please (Sheila) wake up."

Two other motorists were so concerned at the condition of Ms Thomas' driving minutes earlier that they tried in vain to get her to pull over and park her vehicle - while another followed her in a bid to alert gardaí.

At one traffic light, she fell asleep behind the wheel while stopped for over eight minutes - with other vehicles having to drive around her jeep.

Judge Boyle was told that Ms Thomas made a serious attempt on her life in the months after the death of her friend of over 20 years and believes she will never be forgiven for what happened.

A letter of apology was submitted to the court but this was rejected by the Dunne family as being offered too late.

Defence counsel Tom Creed SC read the letter to the court.

"I deeply regret my behaviour and what happened," she said.

"What I did was wrong...I am truly sorry in more ways than I can explain."

Ms Thomas also apologised for contacting the Dunne family after the tragedy in "a selfish request for forgiveness."

In an emotional victim impact statement, delivered on behalf of Mrs Dunne's children, Lilley and TJ, who were left orphaned by the tragedy, the court was told the two children were left with "shattered hearts" because of the selfish and reckless actions of Ms Thomas.

Thomas of Oakfield View, Glanmire, Co Cork pleaded guilty before Cork Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing the death of Sheila Dunne (50) on the L2973 road at Sarsfield Court in Glanmire on February 11, 2024.

The charge was brought contrary to Section 53 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961.

The model, who appeared in court wearing a black coat and pants suit, sobbed with her head in her hands as the victim impact statements were delivered in person by Lilley Dunne and on behalf of Sheila's mother, Esther O'Brien (74), by Sheila Lee.

Lilley told the court that her brother, TJ, has autism and is non-verbal.

"I stand before you here today as TJ's voice and to outline the devastation we have both endured," she said.

"I have come here with a shattered heart weighed down so heavily by this.

"I wanted to try to try and express as vividly as I can how this tragic event has destroyed my life, my brother's world and our family unit as we knew it."

She said her mother always referred to TJ as "the best boy in the whole world" - and she is absolutely heartbroken when TJ asks: 'I want Mommy please'."

The young woman said she tries to console her brother by saying their mother and father are together "up in the sky."

Lilley said her family felt they had endured "a cruel twist of fate" after losing their mother just a few years after losing their father to Covid-19.

"My beautiful mother was taken from us far too soon at the young age of 50 in a car crash caused by a reckless decision made by a selfish individual. This choice altered our lives forever.

"I have known Jennifer for many years. It haunts me that on the day of the car crash I repeatedly tried to contact Jennifer as I couldn't get through to my Mam as her phone was flat.

"I felt a huge worry as it was totally out of character for my Mam.

"It was later verified to me that Jennifer's phone was not flat and so I could only feel as though I was being ignored.

"The betrayal I feel is indescribable and it has broken my sense of safety and trust in everyone."

She said her family were told at one point that Sheila was driving the car.

"I never believed this and this made an unimaginable tragedy even more painful for me and my family."

Lilley said she allowed Ms Thomas to visit her mother at Cork University Hospital (CUH) where she was in a critical condition in the days before her death.

"Knowing what I know now, my decision would have been different.

"Jennifer's malicious lies trickled out to the media vultures compounding our grief. Newspapers and social media outlets covered the story and reported that my Mam was the driver.

"Jennifer's complete fabrication painted a picture of my Mam, Sheila, that was far from the truth, sensationalising the tragedy and stripping away her dignity and worsening our family's suffering.

"It is heartbreaking to see how easily someone's untruthful words can overshadow all the goodness and integrity my Mam embodied."

Lilley said that Ms Thomas' false claims had turned her mother's death "into a spectacle."

Ms Thomas offered an apology in court to the Dunne family but they said it was offered far too late to be accepted.

"She (Jennifer) asked for forgiveness but never took responsibility for her careless actions. She never said sorry."

Lilley said her mother's death has been most painfully felt by her brother, TJ, for whom Sheila was his primary carer.

"It is impossible to gauge the extent of the trauma he has endured from this."

"Our Mam's death is a hole that no amount of time or apology can ever fill and no justice will bring her back."

Sheila's mother, Esther O'Brien (74), said the collision had inflicted "profound emotional scars on all of us."

"My granddaughter Lilley was left with no choice but to step up and care for her younger brother, TJ. While I am so proud of Lilley for being such an amazingly strong young girl, it breaks my heart to see the sacrifices she has had to make and the lost opportunities (she had)."

Other charges against Ms Thomas, including one count of drunk driving and three counts of dangerous driving, will remain at the district court as they are deemed to be summary charges.

The summary charges include that Ms Thomas was under the influence of an intoxicant to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle at Sarsfield Court, dangerous driving at Hazelwood Road, Sarsfield Court and Sallybrook, not having a driving licence and the related count of failing to produce it.

Det Garda Mark Durkan told the court that Jennifer Thomas pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

The defendant was driving her two seat commercial jeep with Sheila Dunne as a front seat passenger when the tragedy occurred.

Ms Thomas had driven after consuming 12 drinks over the course of a social day out.

After a series of near-misses on earlier stretches of road, the two-seat jeep entered a sharp left hand bend near Sarsfield Court but never straightened out, struck the ditch and overturned on the driver's side.

Ms Thomas was wearing a seat belt but Sheila Dunne was not.

The special needs assistant was then catapulted across onto her friend, suffering serious injuries and later having a cardiac arrest which in turn resulted in a critical brain injury.

Sheila Dunne died in Cork University Hospital (CUH) on February 13.

The special needs assistant was originally from Limerick and was predeceased by her husband, Ted.

Lilley said it was doubly heartbreaking for her and TJ that, having watched their father die from Covid-19 after being on life support in February 2021, they had to watch their mother similarly pass away after being on life support at CUH last February.

The fatal collision occurred just 1.2km from the Dunne family home and Lilley said she can no longer travel the route because of the memories of her mother.

Mr Creed said that Ms Thomas had made a serious attempt on her life after being wracked by guilt over what happened.

"It has had a severe psychological effect on her. She feels extreme guilt over what she has done. Her remorse is genuine," he said.

Judge Boyle was told that Ms Thomas has ten previous convictions, seven for Road Traffic Act offences.

The judge adjourned sentencing to allow her to consider the various expert reports.

"This will attract a custodial sentence so I will remand her in custody to Thursday," Judge Boyle said.