A groomsman has pleaded guilty to reckless driving and causing the death of a groom just hours before he was to marry his pregnant fiancée.
Shane Harty, 21, of Tola Park, Shannon, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving, resulting in the death of his cousin Myles ‘Miley’ Harty, 20, who was in the seat of the front passenger of the car in August 2021.
His heartbroken bride, Kate Quilligan, who was due to marry Myles at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick city, tragically changed the wedding to a funeral, with mourning family and friends outside the venue where they were to exchange vows.
A month after her fiance’s death, Kate discovered she was pregnant with a “miracle” baby.
The driver was arrested at the scene after the Skoda hatchback crashed into a pole at around 1am in Limerick, instantly killing the boyfriend and injuring another man in the back of the car.
A groomsman has admitted to reckless driving, leading to the death of Myles ‘Miley’ Harty (pictured) just hours before their wedding.
Hours before the 20-year-old’s death, Kate shared a post on social media expressing her excitement about marrying her “best friend in the world.”
She wrote: ‘I can’t believe I married my best friend in the world this morning. See you at the altar kids. Husband and wife in the morning, our fairy tale has finally arrived.’
After the fatal accident, Kate gathered friends and family at the wedding venue to mourn the loss of her fiancé, “because that’s where we should be celebrating the best day of our lives in that church, but instead it’s the worst.” “he said later.
At the time of Myles’ death, Kate told him the sun: ‘I will love you forever. It will always be you and me no matter what.
“I love you unconditionally my gentle giant, you didn’t deserve this my beautiful baby.”
Kate and hundreds of other family and friends cried outside the church where the wedding was supposed to take place and released dozens of blue heart-shaped balloons.
Fr Sean O’Longaigh, parish priest of Askeaton, said Myles was well known in his rural west Limerick community… “The family must be in pieces.”
Just a month after the tragic death, Kate revealed she was pregnant with her “miracle” baby.
Myley was due to marry her girlfriend Kate Quilligan (pictured together) at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick city.
The bride-to-be turned her wedding into a funeral for Myles, calling it the “worst” day of her life.
“To say I’m happy is an understatement,” Kate wrote on social media to announce her pregnancy. She continued: ‘My Miley couldn’t leave me alone on this earth, so she blessed me with our own miracle baby.
‘I can’t wait to hold my baby in my hands. You only gave me the best and you are still blessing me with the best.’
‘I love you and our miracle baby on the way. I will always have a piece of you now my Miley. I love you and our prince or princess on the way.’
In another post, she added: “Can’t wait to meet our prince or princess. Their dad is a proud man in heaven.
‘All we ever wanted was to have our own little family and now our dream is coming true. I love you both so much.’
A month after Myley’s tragic death in August 2021, Kate discovered she was pregnant with a ‘miracle’ baby
Accompanying Kate’s post was a photo of two outfits for the baby, one with the words “handpicked for earth by my dad in heaven” emblazoned on the front and another that read, “I love my dad Miley in heaven “.
Kate and Myles’ parents attended Limerick Circuit Criminal Court when Shane Harty pleaded guilty, the Irish Mirror reported.
The judge will canvass both sides for victim impact statements prior to sentencing, which will be taken into account when considering Shane’s sentence.
Speaking about the case, prosecutor Lily Buckley said it was a “very tragic case”, while Judge Colin Daly extended the court’s “sympathies to all the family and friends of the deceased”.
Shane remains on bail and awaits sentencing at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on November 18.