A man has been jailed for five years after causing the death of a mother-of-four while using his mobile phone during a high-speed crash in Northern Ireland. Jonathan McNeill, 40, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after his Audi S3 struck the rear of Jenny Dunlop's Volkswagen Polo on the M2 southbound near Newtownabbey, County Antrim, on March 5, 2023.
Crash details and aftermath
Ms Dunlop, 59, was driving her Volkswagen Polo when McNeill ploughed into her car at 70mph. The impact shunted her Polo into a Honda Civic, which then struck an articulated lorry, involving a total of four vehicles. Bystanders performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but Ms Dunlop died in hospital two days later from her injuries.
At the time of the crash, traffic was at a standstill due to roadworks between junction four at Sandyknowes and junction two at Greencastle. Although it had rained earlier, road conditions were good at the time of the collision, according to BelfastLive.
Phone use and deletion of apps
Belfast Crown Court heard that McNeill had been using his mobile phone for around 15 minutes to message people on Snapchat and Facebook Messenger in the lead-up to the collision. An examination of his phone revealed he deleted both apps before emergency services arrived. He also deleted dating apps Tinder and Badoo while in hospital later that evening receiving treatment for his injuries, which included a fractured clavicle and injuries to his hand and neck. He had to be cut out of his car.
Sentencing and judge's remarks
Judge Patrick Lynch KC sentenced McNeill to five years in prison, with half to be served in custody and the remainder on supervised licence. The judge described the deletion of apps as an attempt to 'avoid detection and mitigate his own responsibility for his actions, which I regard as an aggravating feature in this case.' He assessed the case as one of high or more serious culpability given the nature of McNeill's driving.
Defence and remorse
Defence counsel Ian Turkington KC said McNeill was a 'vulnerable individual' with mental health issues before the accident, which deteriorated afterward. He stated that McNeill had 'no appetite to drive or get behind the wheel of a car ever again' and was 'completely sorry for his role in relation to the collision.' Turkington acknowledged the 'immense pain and anguish' suffered by Ms Dunlop's family and friends.
