A Belfast man has been sentenced to two years and seven months in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving and perverting the course of justice. Martin Sean O'Lali Jr was driving a VW Golf R at around 90 mph in a 30 mph zone on the Stewartstown Road on 5 February 2021 when he struck and killed 43-year-old Richard Boyle and his dog. O'Lali Jr failed to stop and later reported his car and phone stolen in an attempt to cover up his involvement. The car was found burned out at Norfolk Way.

The court heard that the vehicle was accelerating at close to its maximum rate before the collision and that had O'Lali Jr been driving at the speed limit, Mr Boyle would have crossed the road safely. O'Lali Jr, who had no valid insurance at the time, had previous convictions for speeding and was assessed as being at high risk of reoffending.

For causing death by careless driving, O'Lali Jr received a sentence of 22 months. He received three months concurrent each for failing to stop, failing to report, and driving without insurance. For perverting the course of justice, he received nine months to run consecutively, making a total of 31 months in custody. He will serve half of this sentence before release on licence and was disqualified from driving for three years.

Four co-defendants received suspended sentences for their roles in the cover-up. Hugh O'Neill, 29, who provided a false alibi, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months. Martin O'Lali Sr, 51, the defendant's father who withheld information, received 12 months suspended for two years. Tiernan Holden, 26, who transported O'Lali Jr and provided a false alibi, received 18 months suspended for three years. Emma McCune, 28, O'Lali Jr's partner who withheld information, received 11 months suspended for 18 months.

Judge Reel noted that the maximum sentence for causing death by careless driving is five years, and the court was bound by the prosecution's decision to accept a plea to that charge rather than the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving. The judge said the sentence would likely appear too low to Mr Boyle's family, but that no sentence could bring him back or reflect their loss. Mr Boyle was described by family as a loving uncle who was a father figure to many of his nieces and nephews.

The court heard that the false alibis and withholding of information caused police to spend months and hundreds of man hours investigating. The judge said the case was far from a trivial false alibi and caused additional trauma to the victim's family.