Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland based in west Belfast have welcomed the sentence handed down to a 45-year-old man who pleaded guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving of a woman in her 20s and other offences.
West Belfast man Gerard McCrory was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on Friday, 1st April to a total of six years – three years in custody and a three year supervision order - while being disqualified from driving for six years. This includes sentencing for failing to provide a specimen of breath or blood, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and assault on a police officer.
Lucy McIlhatton was 24 when she died after being struck by a Toyota Avensis, driven by McCrory, in the Springfield Road area of Belfast on 3rd January 2021.
Inspector Philip McCullagh says the sentence handed down to McCrory is welcome, but “does not ease the lifetime of pain and loss for the victim’s family”.
“This was a young woman walking back from a local shop with her partner, but her young life was tragically ended due to one man’s poor choices that night. Lucy was a much loved daughter and sister who should have had a promising future ahead.
“This sentence handed down today has been the accumulation of the hard work of officers from the Collision Investigation Unit, West Belfast Neighbourhood Policing Team and our Forensic Science colleagues aided by members of the public who assisted in our enquiries. Our thoughts remain with the family of Lucy.”
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