Pregnant bride-to-be left heartbroken after her fiancé dies in a car crash on their wedding day – as his groomsman pleads guilty to careless driving

A groomsman who caused a fatal crash that killed his cousin who was just hours away from marrying his pregnant fiancée has pleaded guilty to careless driving. 

Shane Harty, 21, of Tola Park, Shannon, County Clare, pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving, which resulted in the death of Myles ‘Miley’ Harty, 20, who was in the front passenger seat of the car in August 2021.

Harty was arrested at the scene after the Skoda hatchback smashed into a pole at around 1am in Limerick, instantly killing the groom and injuring another male in the rear of the car. 

Myles was due to marry his heartbroken bride Kate Quilligan at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick City just hours later, but their family and friends were instead left to mourn his death outside the venue. 

To further add to the tragedy, Kate went on to discover that she was pregnant with a ‘miracle’ baby just one month after Myles’ death.

Hours before the 20-year-old’s death, Kate shared a post on social media expressing her excitement about marrying her ‘best friend in the whole world’. 

She wrote: ‘Can’t believe I’m marrying my best friend in the whole world in the morning. See you at the altar babes. Husband and wife in the morning, our fairytale has finally come.’ 

After the fatal crash, Kate gathered friends and family at the wedding venue to mourn the loss of her fiancé, ‘because that’s where we should be celebrating the best day of our life at that church but instead it’s the worst’, she later said.

Fr Sean O’Longaigh, Askeaton Parish Priest, said Myles was well-known in his rural west Limerick community, adding: ‘The family must be in bits.’

At the time of Myles’ death, Kate said: ‘I love you forever. It will always be me and you no matter what. 

‘I love you unconditionally my gentle giant, you didn’t deserve this my handsome baby boy.’ 

Just one month on from the tragic death, Kate revealed that she was pregnant with her ‘miracle’ baby. 

Myley was due to marry his sweetheart Kate Quilligan (pictured together) at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick City

The bride-to-be switched her wedding into a funeral for Myles, calling it the ‘worst’ day of her life

‘To say I’m happy is an understatement,’ Kate wrote on social media to announce her pregnancy. She continued: ‘My Miley couldn’t leave me on this earth alone, so he blessed me with our very own miracle baby.

‘I cannot wait to get my baby in my hands. You only ever gave me the best and you’re still only blessing me with the best.’

‘Love you and our miracle baby on the way. I’m always going to have a piece of you now my Miley. Love you and our prince or princess on the way.’

In another post, she added: ‘Can’t wait to get to meet our prince or princess. Their daddy is one proud man in heaven.

‘All we ever wanted was our own little family and now our dream is coming true. Love the two of ye so much.’

One month after Myley’s tragic death in August 2021, Kate discovered that she was pregnant with a ‘miracle’ baby

Accompanying Kate’s post was a picture of two outfits for the baby, with one having the words ‘handpicked for earth by my daddy in heaven’ emblazoned across the front and another saying, ‘I love my daddy Miley in heaven’.

Kate and Myles’s parents attended Limerick Circuit Criminal Court when Shane Harty pleaded guilty, the Irish Mirror reported.

The judge will canvas both parties for pre-sentencing victim impact statements, which will be contemplated when considering Shane’s sentence.

Talking of the case, the prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley said it is a ‘very tragic case’ while Judge Colin Daly extended the ‘sympathies of the court to all the family and friends of the deceased’.

Shane is continuing bail and is expecting to be sentenced at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on November 18.