Glanmire woman who was passenger in car driven by drunk driver died of brain injury, organ failure and cardiac arrest

A 50-year-old mother of two who was a passenger in a car driven by a drunk driver died of a brain injury, multi organ failure, and an out of hospital cardiac arrest following a road traffic collision, an inquest has heard.

Cork Coroner’s Court heard today that special needs assistant Sheila Dunne passed away on February 13 last in hospital. She had been in a single vehicle crash near her home in Glanmire, Co Cork, three days earlier.

Gardaí told coroner for Cork City Philip Comyn that 46-year-old Jennifer Thomas of Oakfield View, Glanmire, Cork, was last month jailed for four years for dangerous driving causing the death of her friend Sheila.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Ms Thomas had consumed 12 alcoholic drinks, which included cocktails, Prosecco, wine, and gin, in the hours before the single vehicle crash at Sarsfield Court in Cork.

Judge Helen Boyle told Ms Thomas that the tragedy of the case was that it was entirely preventable: “It is not a crime to go out with your friend [and have a few drinks] but it is a crime to get behind the wheel of a car. You could have had a designated driver or taxi or bus or walked. Unfortunately, you sealed the fate of the passenger in that car.”

On Thursday. assistant State pathologist Margaret Bolster said that she was giving evidence at the inquest on behalf of State pathologist Sally Anne, who carried out the postmortem on Ms Dunne.

A death certificate can now be issued to the family of the deceased.

Ms Dunne is survived by her two children TJ and Lilly, her parents, brothers, sisters and brothers in law, nephews and nieces and a large circle of friends.

Her late husband, well-known local DJ Ted Dunne, died of covid three years ago. She lived in Glanmire but was originally from Newcastle West, Co Limerick.

Ms Dunne was fondly remembered in Watergrasshill National School where she was described as having been a warm and generous person who was very kind to children in her role as an special needs assistant.

Tributes were also paid to Ms Dunne by the Rainbow Club charity.