Shane Farrell's family to get apology from minister

The mother of hit-and-run victim, the late Shane Farrell says that Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan will deliver a public apology in the Dáil next week.

The apology follows years of campaigning by the Farrell family.

Student Shane Farrell was 23-year-old when he was killed while out cycling near his home in Carrickmacross, on August 2, 2011, in a car driven by Zigimantas Gridziuska, who should have been in custody at the time.

In a statement today to Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin on RTÉ Radio 1, Shane’s mother, Lucia said: "We note Minister O Callaghan will make an apology to Shane on Tuesday."

Gridzuiska was known to the courts, having amassed convictions across District and Circuit Criminal courts in Monaghan, Cavan and Louth.

Seven months before the fatatl hit-and-run which resulted in the death of Mr Farrell, he was before the Circuit Criminal Court on a number of theft charges.

But the late Judge John O’Hagan deferred sentencing granting liberty to reenter the case should the Lithuanian national commit any further crimes.

Just months later Gridziuska was convicted of five charges of theft at Ardee District Court. He was not brought back before Judge O’Hagan and only received a suspended sentence.

The judge in Ardee was not informed of Judge O’Hagan’s order.