The skipper of a fishing vessel was given a six-month jail sentence after a court heard that a crewman, who was not wearing a life jacket, drowned when he fell overboard."©
While in the past jail sentences have been imposed, they have always been suspended. The suspended sentences have ranged in length from three months to three years. In this case, according to a report in Health & Safety Review, Judge Brian O'Shea at Gorey DSistrict Court concluded that the gravity of what happened needed to be marked. Imposing a six-month sentence, he suspended the last two months. He gave leave to appeal the sentence and approved bail on condition that €200 was paid in to court.
