Danny O'Donoghue got 5.5 years for killing his niece in a drunk, drug-fueled crash in Ireland.

Danny O’Donoghue, 43, was sentenced to 5½ years in prison, with six months suspended, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving that killed his 21-year-old niece, Marguerita O’Rourke, in December 2024. The incident occurred in Rathkeale, Ireland, after O’Donoghue, impaired by alcohol and cocaine, rammed his van into gates at his niece’s home during a heated argument with his wife. She, a new mother visiting from the UK, was struck and died four hours later without regaining consciousness. CCTV showed him fleeing, attacking another vehicle with a machete, and later surrendering after two days on the run. He was also sentenced to two-and-a-half years for weapon possession, served concurrently, and banned from driving for seven years. The court heard he had prior convictions, including for dangerous driving, and the victim’s family described the act as intimidation.