DRIVER JAILED OVER DEATH OF BELFAST DOG WALKER HIT AT 90MPH

Martin Sean O'Lali has been jailed for two years and seven months after admitting causing the death of Richard Boyle in a hit-and-run in west Belfast. Belfast Crown Court heard that Boyle was walking his dog on the Stewartstown Road in February 2021 when O'Lali's car, travelling at 90mph in a 30mph zone, struck him. O'Lali, of Breton Court in Lisburn, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, driving without insurance, and failing to stop or report the collision. He will serve half of his sentence in custody before release on licence, and has been disqualified from driving for three years. Judge Mark Reel said there was "no sentence that will ever bring Mr Boyle back to his loved ones."

O'Lali also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, after falsely telling police that his car and mobile phone had been stolen. Judge Reel described the case as a "shameful litany of events" and said O'Lali's accounts to police had been "self-serving" and aimed at "minimising his responsibility." Probation assessors found O'Lali showed "a lack of victim empathy," the court heard. The judge said Boyle's death had a "profound" impact on his family, noting he had acted as a "father figure" to his nieces and nephews despite having no children of his own.

Boyle's mother, Mary Boyle, said she was "broken" and described O'Lali as "a hateful, evil person" showing no remorse. His sister, Mary Teresa Boyle, said she did not believe he would change. Family members described Richard as "popular" and "kind", saying "he would have done anything for anybody." The family has called for changes to sentencing guidelines in such cases.