Daughter Of Woman Killed In Car Crash Involving Newbridge Driver Details How Her Death Will Be With Her Forever

Dean Coleman, of Maple Road, Connell Drive, Newbridge was driving the car with Annmarie Hooper as passenger, when it crashed into a lamp post

The daughter of a female passenger who was killed in a car crash in 2019, which was driven by a banned driver from Newbridge, has said her mother's death "will live with me for the rest of my life", according to the Irish Independent.

In an inquest at Dublin District Coroner's Court, Katelyn Hooper said she will never be able to get over her mother Annmarie's death.

Dean Coleman (25), of Maple Road, Connell Drive, Newbridge, was driving a Fiat Stilo when it crashed on Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham at 1.30am on December 17th, 2019.

The car struck a lamp post at a speed of 113kmh after Coleman lost control on a bend.

He was fleeing gardaí in Dublin, and had almost twice the legal level of alcohol and traces of cocaine in his body.

33-year-old mother of two, Annmarie Hooper, was killed in the crash.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroner's Court heard that Ms Hooper's body was thrown from the vehicle by the force of the impact.

A forensic collision investigator, Garda Lyn Connaughton, said neither occupant was wearing a seat belt, while the car’s front two tyres were also defective.

Alcohol, cocaine and benzodiazepines were found in Ms Hooper's blood, according to State pathologist Heidi Okkers.

She resided in Beverly Lawns, Knocklyon in Dublin, but was originally from Fettercairn in Tallaght.

Mr Coleman was originally from Drimnagh in Dublin, and was identified through fingerprint evidence.

Mr Coleman had 27 previous convictions at the time, including five for dangerous driving.

He had also previously been given a four-year prison sentence for dangerous driving for his role in a high-speed chase with gardaí around Dublin in December 2013 which ended when the vehicle, in which his one-year-old son was a passenger, crashed into several parked cars before hitting a lamppost and a wall.

He was found hiding behind a bin and subsequently tested positive for cannabis.

Following the inquest, Katelyn Hooper described the impact of her mother’s death, how she had become an orphan at the age of 13 and was emotionally prevented from living a “normal” life.

According to the Irish Independent, the families of both victims hugged each other at the end of the inquest.