A van driver who reportedly fell asleep while driving on the wrong side of the road has been jailed for seven and a half years for causing the death of his passenger.

The man, Oliver Shovelin, of Clondallon, Rathmullen was said to have driven his newly bought Ford Escort without van insurance and causing the death of John Sheridan after just 48 minutes of dangerous driving.

He had 27 previous convictions, which include several for drink driving, and had also lost a brother in a crash some years back.

Shovelin also received a conviction for causing bodily harm to another motorist, Deirdre O’Brien, at Cookstown, Co Louth, on 11, July 2004 in the same incident.

The deceased and Shovelin had been travelling to Groke Park together to see Donegal play, Armagh, when the accident happened.

Judge Tony Hunt said a probation report had stated clearly that the driver refused to admit culpability.

But David Goldberg SC, defending, said Shovelin maintained that he had no memory of what had happened.

He added that the van driver had suffered severe brain trauma and had been hospitalised for seven months.

In his ruling Judge Hunt noted that Shovelin had always exhibited a bad driving pattern and had no insurance cover.