Wednesday 28 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. 1674Dangerous driving causing death · Co. Monaghan · 31 Jul 2023

Parents of Debs crash victim say driver should have faced murder charge

Anthony McGinn, 61, of Drumloo, Newbliss, Co Monaghan, lost control of a white BMW on a wet road and crashed into a tree on the N54 at Legnakelly near Clones, Co Monaghan, shortly after 6.30pm on 31 July 2023, killing 17-year-old Kiea McCann and 16-year-old Dlava Mohamed while seriously injuring two other teenage passengers. Forensic findings indicated the car was travelling at 151 km/h in an 80 km/h zone before the crash. McGinn was arrested in December 2023 and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of McCann and Mohamed and to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Avin Mohammed. On 14 May 2025, Judge John Aylmer at Monaghan Circuit Court sentenced him to seven years in prison and a 15-year driving disqualification. McCann's parents said the driver should have faced a murder charge and hope the DPP re-examines the case.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court7 May
    3 reports
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced14 May
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Anthony McGinn lost control of a white BMW on a wet road and it struck a tree while he was driving four teenagers from Largy College in Clones to a debs ball at the Westenra Hotel in Monaghan town.
  • Kiea McCann, 17, and Dlava Mohamed, 16, were pronounced dead at the scene; Avin Mohammed suffered serious injuries including brain trauma; Oisin Clerkin sustained less serious injuries.
  • Forensic findings indicated the car was travelling at 151 km/h before the crash and 121 km/h at impact in an 80 km/h zone.
  • McGinn was seriously injured, airlifted from the scene, and was in a coma for about eight weeks.
Where
The crash occurred on the N54 at Legnakelly, a few kilometres outside Clones, Co Monaghan.
When
The crash occurred shortly after 6.30pm on 31 July 2023.
Investigation
McGinn was arrested in December 2023.
Charges
McGinn pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of Kiea McCann and Dlava Mohamed and to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Avin Mohammed.
In court
At Monaghan Circuit Court on 7 May 2025, Judge John Aylmer heard the case and adjourned sentencing to 14 May 2025.
Sentence
On 14 May 2025, McGinn was sentenced to seven years in prison (a nine-year sentence with the final two years suspended) and disqualified from driving for 15 years.
Other details
Kiea McCann's parents said the driver should have faced a murder charge and hope the DPP re-examines the case.
69 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatKiea McCann was 17 years old at the time of the crash (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatDlava Mohamed was 16 years old at the time of the crash (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatKiea McCann and Dlava Mohamed were best friends (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAnthony McGinn was 60 years old (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMcGinn was driving the teenagers to their debs dance in Monaghan town (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe white BMW skidded on a wet road and crashed into a tree (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe impact speed was 121.5 km/h (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAvin Mohammed was seriously injured in the crash (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe BMW had been recently purchased from McGinn's son-in-law (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatKiea and Dlava were pronounced dead at the scene (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAvin said she told McGinn to stop and then everything went black (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAvin said for months she did not know her sister and friend had died (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMcGinn was very seriously injured in the crash (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe car was doing 121km/h at the point of impact with the tree (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe speed limit on that stretch of roadway was 80km/h (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe road was wet from rainfall at the time of the crash (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn was bringing four teenagers from Largy College in Clones to a debs ball at the Westenra Hotel in Monaghan town (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn lost control of the BMW and it struck a tree (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn had to be airlifted from the scene and was in a coma for about eight weeks (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAll four young passengers in the vehicle were injured in the collision (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAvin Mohamed suffered serious injuries including brain trauma (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAnthony McGinn, 61, from Drumloo, Newbliss, Co Monaghan, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of Kiea McCann and Dlava Mohamed. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe car left the road and crashed into a tree in the Legnakeely area on 31 July 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn was driving at 151km/h on a wet stretch of road in an 80km/h zone. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn was a friend of the McCann family and offered to drive the girls to the Debs in his white BMW. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAvin was left with life-changing injuries. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAnother passenger, Oisin Clerkin, sustained less serious injuries. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe entire event was captured on dashcam. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn suffered serious injuries himself in the crash and spent months in a coma. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatNo alcohol or drugs were consumed by McGinn. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMcGinn had no previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatKiea McCann, 17, and her 16-year-old best friend Dlava Mohammed died in the crash. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAnthony McGinn, 61, of Drumloo, Newbliss, Co Monaghan, was the driver. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMcGinn was driving over 151 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatMcGinn ignored the pleas of the girls inside the car to slow down. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatOisin Clerkin survived the crash. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe parents performed CPR on Kiea and Dlava at the scene. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe crash occurred on a section of the N54 at Legnakelly near Clones (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereMcGinn has an address at Drumloo, Newbliss, Co Monaghan (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe crash occurred on the N54 at Legnakelly near Clones, Co Monaghan (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe crash occurred on the N54 at Legnakelly, a few kilometres outside Clones (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe crash occurred at Legnakelly, Co Monaghan. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe crash occurred on 31 July 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe crash occurred shortly after 6.30pm on 31 July 2023 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe crash happened on 31 July 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationMcGinn was arrested in December 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeMcGinn pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of the teenagers (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeMcGinn pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Avin Mohammed (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge John Aylmer is expected to sentence McGinn (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtMcGinn entered an early guilty plea (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge John Aylmer adjourned sentencing to 14 May 2025 at 10am (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing hearing took place at Monaghan Circuit Court (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Aylmer adjourned sentencing to 14 May 2025 (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe sentencing took place at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court before Judge John Aylmer. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMcGinn was sentenced to seven years in prison, with a nine-year sentence imposed and the final two years suspended in full. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMcGinn was disqualified from driving for 15 years. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMcGinn was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherDlava's father said the family came to Ireland from war-torn Syria (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKiea had dreams of becoming a social worker (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherMcGinn lost his job, income, and relationship with his wife and three children (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKiea passed all her Leaving Certificate exams with distinction despite dyslexia and had aspired to become a social worker (irishtimes.com)
  • otherDlava's family left Syria in 2017 (irishtimes.com)
  • otherKiea's mother Teresa McCann said there was no justice in the sentence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherKiea had passed all her Leaving Certificate exams with distinction despite suffering from dyslexia. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe parents have nine remaining children. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKiea wanted to become a social worker or carer. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe parents could not watch the dashcam footage shown in court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe parents hope the DPP re-examines the case. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe parents do not blame the judge for acting within the constraints of the law. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 May2025
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Parents of Debs crash victim say man responsible should have faced murder charge

    Parents' reaction to the seven-year sentence, calling for a murder charge and hoping the DPP re-examines the case.

    victim, Kiea McCann, 17, female, irish (judged from name)Kiea McCannvictim, Dlava Mohammed, 16, female, non-irish (judged from name)Dlava Mohammedconvicted, Anthony McGinn, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony McGinn
  2. 14 May2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    ‘There is no justice for this’: Driver in car crash that led to deaths of Monaghan teenagers jailed for seven years

    Full sentencing hearing details including judge's reasoning, victim impact statements from both families, the 15-year driving disqualification, and the families' reactions outside court.

    victim, Kiea McCann, 17, female, irish (judged from name)Kiea McCannvictim, Dlava Mohamed, 16, female, non-irish (judged from name)Dlava Mohamedconvicted, Anthony McGinn, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony McGinnvictim, Avin, female, non-irish (judged from name)Avinvictim, Oisin Clerkin, irish (judged from name)Oisin Clerkin
  3. 7 May2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Man drove at more than 150km/h before debs crash that killed two teenagers in 2023

    Sentencing hearing details including forensic speed findings (151km/h before crash, 121km/h at impact, 80km/h limit), dashcam footage, victim impact statements from families of Kiea McCann and Dlava Mohamed, and adjournment of sentencing to 14 May 2025.

    victim, Kiea McCann, 17, female, irish (judged from name)Kiea McCannvictim, Dlava Mohamed, 16, female, non-irish (judged from name)Dlava Mohamedvictim, Avin, female, non-irish (judged from name)Avinsuspect, Anthony McGinn, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony McGinn
  4. 7 May2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Driver ignored pleas to slow down before tragic Debs ball crash, court hears

    Details of the sentencing hearing including dashcam footage, the driver's interview statements, victim impact statements from both families, and the adjournment of sentencing to 14 May 2025.

    victim, Kiea McCann, 17, female, irish (judged from name)Kiea McCannvictim, Dlava Mohamed, 16, female, non-irish (judged from name)Dlava Mohamedvictim, Avin Mohammed, female, non-irish (judged from name)Avin Mohammedvictim, Oisin Clerkin, male, irish (judged from name)Oisin Clerkinconvicted, Anthony McGinn, 61, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony McGinn
  5. 7 May2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Anthony McGinn to be sentenced over teen debs crash deaths in Monaghan

    Pre-sentencing preview confirming McGinn's guilty pleas to dangerous driving causing the deaths of both teenagers and dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Avin Mohammed, with Judge John Aylmer set to sentence him.

    victim, Kiea McCann, 17, female, irish (judged from name)Kiea McCannvictim, Dlava Mohamed, 16, female, non-irish (judged from name)Dlava Mohamedvictim, Avin Mohammed, female, non-irish (judged from name)Avin Mohammedsuspect, Anthony McGinn, 60, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony McGinn