Ex-garda remanded in custody over fatal hit-and-run

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

A garda who fatally struck a man with his car and failed to remain at the scene has been remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing.

Michael Ball, whose address was listed at Drogheda Garda Station for the purpose of the charge, has pleaded guilty to two offences relating to a hit-and-run in Drogheda town in the early hours of St Patrick’s Day 2024.

Niall McEneaney, aged 45, was catastrophically injured and died as a result of being hit by Ball’s car on Rathmullen Road at approximately 2am on March 17th, 2024.

At a sentencing hearing at Dundalk Courthouse on Tuesday, Judge Dara Hayes remanded Ball in custody until June 15th when he expects to finalise the sentence pending the completion of a victim impact statement.

Outlining that decision, the judge said the matter involved serious offending and a custodial sentence seemed inevitable.

Ball, aged 28 and originally from Co Donegal, was suspended from duty following the incident and later resigned from An Garda Síochána.

He has pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death and one count of failure to offer assistance following the collision.

Under questioning from prosecuting barrister Miska Hanohoe, an officer with the police ombudsman explained that McEneaney had been walking home when he was hit by Ball’s car.

Fiosrú officer Alma Gavin said that the defendant had acknowledged drinking on the night in question and was travelling at up to twice the speed limit before the crash.

She told the court that McEneaney received catastrophic injuries from the crash and had been found to have died by the first gardaí at the scene.

After discovering Ball’s licence plate down the road from the crash, the court heard investigators then went to the home in which he was “couch surfing” with garda colleagues.

The court heard the vehicle was discovered parked up a small hill, at the furthermost part of the farmyard, with the front damaged part of the car parked right up against a gate.

Inside the home at around 4:20am, she said Ball was discovered to be in a “comatose sleep” and was found to be clearly intoxicated when he was awoken.

The court heard he was cautioned and replied “I don’t know” when asked who had been driving the car.

She said he had acknowledged he had been drinking with friends after finishing work that night.

Gavin said CCTV obtained in the investigation showed that he had been socialising with friends and colleagues prior to the crash and had been drinking beer.

He returned to the garda station car park at 1:56am, got in his car and drove in the direction of Rathmullen Road.

The fatal crash happened minutes later.

McEneaney had been walking along the road and was two minutes from home at the time of the crash, the court.

He had been intending to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing.

Gardaí determined that the defendant was travelling at between 107km/h and 110km/hr prior to the collision and begun breaking 0.24 seconds before the impact, reducing speed to between 86km/hr and 109km/h.

The speed limit on the road was 50km/h.

The court heard the road surface was wet or damp and it was foggy at the time.

In May 2024, Ball submitted a statement to gardaí through his solicitor where he acknowledged his role in the crash.

He said a male had ran across the road and it happened so suddenly he did not have a chance to avoid the crash.

He said he was “filled with remorse” and deeply regretted not stopping.

Asked by gardaí why he did not stop, he said he was in “sheer panic” – adding that he had “no answer” to why he had not offered assistance to McEneaney.

The court heard that McEaneney was well known in the Louth GAA community and had been out socialising with friends on the night in question.

In a victim-impact statement, his wife Grace Martin described McEneaney as her “eternal best friend” and said her life had been “torn in half” since March 17th, 2024.

She told the court: “Michael Ball stole a huge part of me when he killed my husband.”

She outlined the impact the on her life since her partner’s “senseless and preventable death”.

She said the incident had left an “enormous void in her life”.

“I never got a chance to say goodbye, I miss him everyday

“I feel like I’m losing my mind, I’m angry, heartbroken, I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same again.”

She turned to Ball, who she described as a “coward”, and asked: “What made you decide to train as a garda?”

Rod O’Hanlon, for Ball, said the defendant had offered an apology and expressed remorse.

He said he had also written a letter which was handed in to court and was prepared to be furnished to the deceased’s family but there was concern this would cause them further distress.

He said the defendant had significant difficulty responding to the incident and had been impacted by the matter.

He said it was clear Ball’s “remorse is genuine”.

O’Hanlon handed in character references from the former garda’s wife, mother and aunt.

Justice Hayes said it was clearly a matter involving serious offending and demonstrates the dangers of “driving while intoxicated” and “grossly excessive” speed.

He said it seemed a custodial sentence is inevitable and remanded the defendant in custody pending finalisation of the matter, which is envisaged to take place on June 15th.