Family strive to get justice for Joe

OPINION

The ‘Justice for Joe’ campaign was launched for a young journalism student, Joe Drennan, who was killed in a hit and run incident on Friday, October 13, 2023.

His killer, Kieran Fogarty (21) was handed a six-and-a-half-year sentence at Limerick Circuit Court two weeks ago after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing Joe’s death, and failing to offer him any assistance.

The sentence handed down was to run concurrently (at the same time) as an eight-year sentence handed down on the same day for firearms offences.

Joe’s killer was on bail at the time, he was banned from driving and shouldn’t have been behind a wheel when he hit Joe.

Joe’s family, his friends and his classmates including myself did not feel that justice has been served. Effectively, his sentence meant that his killer will serve nothing, no extra time, for killing Joe.

After extensive campaigning by his family, it was today announced that the Director of Public Prosecutions will appeal the six and a half year sentence handed down to the man who killed Joe. In the depth of tragedy, this is a sliver of hope that some form of justice can be got for Joe.

University of Limerick Vigil

It was heartening last week to see that the hundreds of people who turned out at the vigil at the University of Limerick to demand justice for Joe. As I stood looking around along with the rest of Joe’s classmates who were able to attend, I couldn’t help but think that none of us should be here. This should be a normal day; students should be sitting in lecture halls, in the library, or chatting about last night’s antics over a pint or a coffee in the college bar. We shouldn’t have to come out and call for justice to be served.

Joe’s family should be grieving and they should have felt a sense of justice on the day of sentencing. There should be no need for them to demand that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) review the sentence. Justice should have been served.

Joe was waiting for a bus home after finishing a shift at work when he was hit by a car and killed. He was earning money for college. Only a few weeks prior, he delivered a moving pitch to us all and became editor in chief of the Limerick Voice, our student newspaper. He provided guidance and encouragement. He was in his final year, just back from Erasmus abroad in Germany. He really was a wealth of wisdom and it should have only been the beginning for him.

“Joe Drennan wanted to change the world,” Dr Kathryn Hayes, the Bachelor course director of journalism said.

“His passion for social justice was evident in the journalism work that he produced where he consistently championed the voices of the marginalised and he sought to expose systematic inequalities,” Dr Hayes added, having lectured him in UL.

In the presence of local and national media, she spoke of the importance of campaign journalism and described it as a “powerful tool”.

Joe’s aunt Julie Bennett said the family “have a long road ahead”.

“First we have to get an appeal and we’re hoping the DPP will agree to an appeal.”

She asked for continued support and asked that everybody spread the word and sign the petition the family have started. Overnight, the petition gathered nearly 11,000 signatures. At the time of going to print it had received nearly 11, 000 signatures.

“Laws for sentencing need to be reformed,” Julie said.

“Concurrent sentencing should not apply to cases where there has been a fatality,” she said.

“No other family should go through this pain, it’s horrific,” she told those gathered, her voice laced with emotion.

Two of Joe’s classmates spoke at the vigil. As Joe’s best friends, they gave insight into the person Joe Drennan was.

Ellie McCarthy described Joe as “kind, caring, generous, compassionate and so much more”.

“Joe was all of the good things in the world.

“We cannot believe that we have to stand here and demand that a killer be brought to justice but Joe was a voice for the voiceless and now we will be his,” she pledged.

“A glimpse of colour will only come back into our lives again once there is justice for Joe.”

Síofra Grant described him as “kind” and “funny”.

“He always made sure everyone was okay and he would always make sure no one was left behind like he was that night,” she said.