The mother of a three-year-old who died in a car accident says she is “devastated” that the man who killed her daughter has been given his driving licence back. 

Estlin Wall died in 2017 whilst being driven home from her creche by her father - who was also seriously injured. 

The truck driver automatically lost his driving licence after his conviction but has now successfully petitioned a judge to have it restored. 

“We were made aware last year that he was putting an application to the courts to have his licence reinstated early,” Amy Dutil-Wall told The Hard Shoulder. 

“He had not gone through half of the sentence - which was a four year driving ban. 

“Under Irish law, it’s a mandatory ban if you kill someone while carelessly driving. 

“He hadn’t done half of that so the court wouldn’t even hear the application but, I believe it’s from two thirds of the sentence, you are allowed to apply to have your licence reissued early.” 

Both Gardaí and the DPP opposed the driver being granted a driving licence but the judge disagreed.  

“We are devastated,” Ms Dutil-Wall said. 

“Throughout the entire process we’ve thought that there has been very little justice in the courts. 

“The initial driving ban, the judge had no choice to sentence him to that because it’s required by law and then he fined him €1,500 - which is pretty meaningless to us. 

“After that, the Court of Appeal found that it was unduly lenient and added on a 16 month sentence fully suspended for two years. 

“So years later to have a separate judge look at it all and say, ‘Oh, it’s too much now, we’re going to reinstate your licence, it just beggars belief.”

Main image: Amy Dutil-Wall, Estlin and Vincent. Picture supplied by family