Ronan Keating has spoken out after the driver involved in his brother’s fatal car accident avoided prison.

Ciaran Keating, the older brother of the former Boyzone singer, tragically died in a car crash near Swinford, County Mayo, in July 2023.

At the time of the incident, 57-year-old Ciaran was traveling with his wife, Annmarie, to watch their son, Ruairí, play for Cork City FC. While Annmarie sustained non-life-threatening injuries, her condition after the crash prevented her from attending her husband's funeral.

Dean Harte, the 22-year-old driver involved in the collision, had pleaded guilty to charges of careless driving causing death and serious injury.

He was sentenced to 17 months in prison, with the sentence suspended for two years. He was also banned from driving for two years by Judge Eoin Garavan.

In response to the sentencing, Ronan Keating shared a statement on social media:

"Today’s sentencing was a devastating example of just how broken our justice system is," he wrote. "You can kill a man… and you can walk free. Not even a single night in prison. Just a slap on the wrist and a ticket to carry on your life, like nothing happened."

He continued, "And then we wonder why we keep seeing this kind of behaviour on our roads, why people keep dying in road accidents across Ireland every week? It’s a joke and it’s morally corrupt that rather than trying to fix our broken system, they all turn a blind eye."

Keating expressed his anger toward both Harte and the judicial process:

"Shame on Dean Harte but more-so shame on everyone involved in this process that contributed to the heartbreaking outcome for my family today. The lord himself knows the injustice that was served, and the Keating family will never find peace."

Ronan concluded his statement by reaffirming that the family would "continue to fight for Ciaran’s justice". He also extending his thoughts to other families who have experienced similar tragedies: "We pray that no one else has to go through what we have."

 

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The court was informed that speed was not a factor in the fatal crash. Conditions such as damp weather and worn tyres were identified as possible contributors, but a lapse in attention was seen as the primary cause of the collision.

Additionally, a Snapchat message was sent shortly before the crash, though Harte and his passenger insisted it was sent earlier. The judge ultimately ruled that this did not factor into the case.

Harte was also found to have trace amounts of cannabis in his system following his hospitalization for non-life-threatening injuries. However, he had no prior convictions and no history of substance abuse.

The judge considered several mitigating factors during sentencing, including Harte’s early guilty plea and his recognition of the impact on the Keating family.