Unlawful killing verdict in Garda Mc Loughlin inquest

An inquest into the death of a garda in Inishowen has returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
24 year old Garda Gary McLoughlin died 24 hours after the garda car he was driving was struck by a car being driven by 26 year old  Martin McDermott from Castlegrove, Raphoe.
Mc Dermott, who was found to be twice the legal limit for alcohol, was jailed for seven years last July for Garda McLoughlin’s mans laughter.
The inquest was told that Garda Gary McLoughlin and his colleague Garda Bernard McLaughlin were driving from Buncrana Garda Station when they were told that McDermott was driving towards Bridgend.
Garda Bernard McLaughlin, now based in Galway, told the hearing that his colleague took the decision to travel slowly, partly on the hard shoulder, in the direction of Letterkenny.
They were told not to deploy a stinger because  McDermott was driving too fast, and they were told to get the registration number.
However, just seconds later, McDermott drove at them on the wrong side of the road, ramming the marked garda car. Garda McLaughlin gave harrowing evidence of his colleague’s last moments, telling the inquest how he held Gary Mc Loughlin’s hand whe he was in obvious pain.
Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis said Gda McLoughlin died on December 14 from multiple internal injuries.
The jury took less than 20 minutes to return a verdict of unlawful killing.