Drink driving death woman loses bid for shorter jail term
A woman who killed another motorist in a drink-driving crash has lost her appeal to have her jail term reduced.
Patricia McGrade, 39, of Lettergash Road, Dromore, County Tyrone, had been ordered to serve 18 months of a three-year sentence in prison for causing death by careless driving.
The mother of three was driving a car that crashed into Kevan Hughes' car at Dooish Road, Dromore, in October 2011.
Mr Hughes, 33, died from his injuries.
Mrs McGrade had been more than two times over the legal limit for alcohol at the time of the crash.
She was sentenced earlier this year after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving with excess alcohol.
Her challenge to the sentence imposed involved an examination of the decision to adopt stringent guidelines introduced in England and Wales.
Defence lawyers also focused on the impact that imprisonment was having on her family.
But the Court of Appeal dismissed the case. The judges' reasons will be delivered at a later stage.