Monaghan man pleads guilty to dangerous driving after deaths of two teens in 2023

Anthony McGinn has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of best friends Kiea McCann, 16, and Dlava Mohamed, 17, in Co Monaghan in July 2023.

McGinn, with an address at Drumloo, Newbliss, in Co Monaghan, appeared at Monaghan Circuit Court on Tuesday, January 14, where he also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Avin Mohamed, Dlava's sister. 

McGinn was driving Kiea, Dlava, and Avin to a debs ball at the Westenra Arms Hotel on July 31, 2023, when their car hit a tree on the N54 road at Legnakelly near Clones in Co Monaghan.

In court on Tuesday, McGinn only spoke to return his "guilty" plea. He faces five years in prison.

Members of the McCann and Mohamed families were present in court.

Judge Aylmer ordered a probation report to see if McGinn was suitable for community service.

The judge remanded McGinn on continuing bail under the same terms and conditions and he is due to be sentenced in the next court term.

On the evening of July 31, 2023, An Garda Síochána announced they were at the scene of a serious road traffic collision that had occurred at 6:45 pm that evening on the N54 in Legnakelly (Clones to Smithborough Road), Co Monaghan.

Three people were taken to hospital, two of which were in critical condition, and there were two fatalities at the scene, An Garda Síochána said.

Superintendent Patrick O’Connell said the collision took place "when a single vehicle, which was carrying five people, left the roadway and collided with a tree.”

He described the scene of the crash as "particularly tragic" and "particularly harrowing."

Later, An Garda Síochána confirmed that two female passengers, 16-year-old Kiea and 17-year-old Dlava, were fatally injured during the collision.

An 18-year-old female teenager, Avin, was in critical condition and received treatment at Cavan General Hospital.

An 18-year-old male teenager, Kiea's date Oisin Clerkin, received treatment at Cavan General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the car, McGinn, was in critical condition and received treatment at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

A GoFundMe for funerals for Kiea and Dlava ultimately raised more than €21k. A funeral was held for Kiea in Clones while another funeral was held for Dlava in Dublin, both on August 3.

Two males were arrested and subsequently released without charge in relation to the fatal incident in December 2023.

On March 11, 2024, McGinn was arrested and charged.