Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 8487Careless driving causing death · Co. Westmeath · 8 Feb 2024

Doctor fined and disqualified over crash that killed daughter

Babak Meshkat, a 46-year-old doctor based in Galway, was driving on the eastbound lane of the motorway between Tyrellspass and Rochfortbridge in Westmeath on 8 February 2024 when his car crashed. His six-year-old daughter, Hana Meshkat, was severely injured and died at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street nine days later. Meshkat pleaded guilty to careless driving in June. On 24 July 2026 at Mullingar Circuit Court, Judge Cephas Power fined him €5,000 and disqualified him from driving for one year, and he was spared jail.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced24 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Hana Meshkat, aged six, was severely injured in the crash and died at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street nine days later.
  • Babak Meshkat, aged 46, is a doctor based in Galway and was the driver; Hana was his daughter.
Where
The crash happened on the eastbound lane of the motorway between Tyrellspass and Rochfortbridge in Westmeath.
When
The crash happened on 8 February 2024.
Cause
  • The car lost control, flipped on the embankment and its airbags were deployed.
  • A tread layer on the right rear tyre delaminated, and this was the trigger event.
  • The child had unbuckled her seatbelt a minute before the crash, and the car was travelling at 173km/h four seconds before the collision.
Investigation
  • An engineer's report found the camber on the car was excessive, and the judge said the negative camber was engineered rather than happening by accident.
  • Gardaí corresponded with BMW but had not received a response.
Charges
Meshkat pleaded guilty to careless driving in June.
In court
Meshkat had no previous convictions and had not consumed alcohol; sentencing took place at Mullingar Circuit Court before Judge Cephas Power on 24 July 2026.
Sentence
  • Meshkat was fined €5,000 and disqualified from driving for one year.
  • The judge said the speed, with children in the car on a wet afternoon, made a disqualification appropriate.
Other details
The judge placed the case at the lower end of the mid-range sentence.
16 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatHana Meshkat, aged six, died at Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street nine days after the crash. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe crash happened on the eastbound lane of the motorway between Tyrellspass and Rochfortbridge. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe crash happened on 8 February 2024. (rte.ie)
  • causeThe car lost control, flipped on the embankment and the airbags were deployed. (rte.ie)
  • causeThe child had unbuckled her seatbelt a minute before the crash. (rte.ie)
  • causeThe car was travelling at 173km/h four seconds before the collision. (rte.ie)
  • causeThe trigger event was a tread layer on the right back tyre that delaminated. (rte.ie)
  • investigationAn engineer's report found the camber on the car was excessive. (rte.ie)
  • investigationThe judge said the negative camber was engineered on the car rather than happening by accident. (rte.ie)
  • investigationGardaí corresponded with BMW but had not received a response. (rte.ie)
  • chargeMeshkat pleaded guilty to careless driving in June. (rte.ie)
  • courtSentencing took place at Mullingar Circuit Court before Judge Cephas Power. (rte.ie)
  • courtMeshkat had no previous convictions and had not consumed alcohol. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceMeshkat was fined €5,000 and disqualified from driving for one year. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge said the speed, with children in the car on a wet afternoon, made a disqualification appropriate. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge placed the case at the lower end of the mid-range sentence. (rte.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 24 Jul2026
    Sentencedrte.ie, first report
    Man spared jail over crash that caused daughter's death

    Reports the sentencing at Mullingar Circuit Court on 24 July 2026: fine of €5,000, one-year driving disqualification, and the court's account of the crash, engineer's evidence on the tyres and camber, and the judge's reasoning.

    convicted, Babak Meshkat, 46, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Babak Meshkatvictim, Hana Meshkat, 6, female, non-irish (judged from name)Hana Meshkat