A groomsman who caused a fatal crash that killed his cousin who was just hours away from marrying his pregnant fiancée has pleaded guilty to careless driving.
Shane Harty, 21, of Tola Park, Shannon, County Clare, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving, which resulted in the death of Myles ‘Miley’ Harty, 20, who was in the front passenger seat of the car in August 2021.
Harty was arrested at the scene after the Skoda hatchback smashed into a pole at around 1am in Limerick, instantly killing the groom and injuring another male in the rear of the car.
Myles was due to marry his heartbroken bride Kate Quilligan at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick City just hours later, but their family and friends were instead left to mourn his death outside the venue.
To further add to the tragedy, Kate went on to discover that she was pregnant with a ‘miracle’ baby just one month after Myles’ death.
Hours before the 20-year-old’s death, Kate shared a post on social media expressing her excitement about marrying her ‘best friend in the whole world’.
She wrote: ‘Can’t believe I’m marrying my best friend in the whole world in the morning. See you at the altar babes. Husband and wife in the morning, our fairytale has finally come.’
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After the fatal crash, Kate gathered friends and family at the wedding venue to mourn the loss of her fiancé, ‘because that’s where we should be celebrating the best day of our life at that church but instead it’s the worst’, she later said.
Fr Sean O’Longaigh, Askeaton Parish Priest, said Myles was well-known in his rural west Limerick community, adding: ‘The family must be in bits.’
At the time of Myles’ death, Kate said: ‘I love you forever. It will always be me and you no matter what.
‘I love you unconditionally my gentle giant, you didn’t deserve this my handsome baby boy.’
