A banned driver who killed a bride-to-be in a hit-and-run just hours after she had been shopping for her wedding dress has been jailed for five years. Laura Connolly, 31, died after being struck by a van that failed to stop on the outskirts of Lifford, County Donegal, in the early hours of May 13, 2026.
The driver, identified as Patrick Gallagher, 34, from Lifford, was already disqualified from driving at the time of the incident. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene. The court heard that Connolly had been out with friends celebrating her upcoming wedding when she was hit.
Judge John O'Donnell sentenced Gallagher to five years in prison and disqualified him from driving for 10 years upon his release. The judge described the case as a 'tragic and senseless loss of life' and noted that Gallagher had a history of driving offenses.
