A man has been jailed for 20 months for driving off after knocking a man down on the Naas Road in the early hours of January 31st 2016.

Peter Maunde died after being struck by a car driven by Anthony Corcoran of Lyons Street, Newcastle in Co Dublin.

Anthony Corcoran and his friend left his fiancée's house following a row after a night out.

Both got into their own cars and drove home to Cavan.

His friend, who was driving in front of him, called him as they drove along the Naas Road to say there was a man crossing the carriageway.

After handing himself in, Corcoran told Gardaí he hit something but did not see a person and did not think it could have been a person.

He told them he had a couple of bottles of cider and four whiskeys before he got behind the wheel, but had not planned on driving that night.

A charge of dangerous driving causing death to Peter Maunde was dropped, but he admitted failing to remain at the scene.

Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said the only explanation for not stopping was that he panicked.

He said he could infer from the evidence that he was over the limit, and it could be assumed he was conscious of that when he decided to drive on.

He jailed him for 20 months and banned him from driving for three years.

Reporting by Frank Greaney