A DRUNK driver has been sentenced to over four and a half years in prison over a fatal crash involving a van and an e-scooter. Colin Harte, 38, of Pharmacy Apartment, Riverstown, Co Sligo pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and dangerous driving causing the death of popular local Anthony Connolly, 52, at Rusheen, Riverstown in Sligo on October 25 2023. At the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the court heard that on the evening of October 25 2023, Colin Harte was on his way to a golf range near to his home, before he decided to stop at Kelly’s Bar in Ballygawley. CCTV evidence replayed in court showed the accused entering the pub through a back door and taking a seat against the bar, where he is seen drinking four pints of beer in 48 minutes. He then left Kelly’s Bar, and travelled to another pub, McDermotts, where he claims he had a further two pints. The court heard that at the same time, Anthony Connolly, who was described as a well-known community man active in the local hospitality industry and sports clubs, was visiting friends in the Rusheen area. He was travelling by e-scooter and was wearing a high-vis jacket with red lights on the back in the form of an X, as well as a helmet. Witnesses described finding Harte’s Volkswagen Caddy Van had crashed through a garden. While surveying the damage to her property, homeowner Sylvia Marron’s statement described how she then found the body of Anthony Connolly, partly across the garden and footpath. The court heard how the victim’s brother Michael Connolly had arrived on the scene shortly before Anthony was discovered, having been driving in the area and stopping to render assistance. Harte was subsequently breathalysed by an on-duty Garda and failed the test, indicating that he was over the legal alcohol limit. He was then arrested and brought to Sligo University Hospital, where a urine test showed he was over two and a half times the legal limit. While the road at the time had a speed limit of 80kph, Forensic Investigator Sergeant Eoin O'Connor stated that Mr Harte was travelling at 91kph, with that figure likely an underestimate due to factors in the data. SENTENCE HANDED DOWN Anthony’s sister Bridie Gallagher read her victim impact statement to the court describing how a senseless, preventable act had taken her brother’s life, causing a devastating injury to her family. In sentencing Mr Harte, Judge Kenneth Connolly assigned Harte a sentence of 63 months in prison with 9 months suspended for a period of 18 months. The judge also banned him for driving for 8 years, with a further two-year ban assigned to run concurrently as punishment for the charge of driving under the influence.