Man jailed after death of mum-of-four in M2 pile-up was using phone while driving

An examination of the defendant's phone revealed that he had deleted two apps from his phone before the NI Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene

14:22, 01 Jul 2026Updated 14:27, 01 Jul 2026

Jenny Dunlop

A Co Antrim man who caused the death of a woman while using his mobile phone behind the wheel of his car was today (Tuesday) handed a five-year prison sentence.

Judge Patrick Lynch KC told Jonathan McNeill he will spend half the sentence in custody, with the remainder on supervised licence on his release from custody.

McNeill (40), of Hollowburn Road, Ballycraigy, had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of causing the death of Jenny Dunlop by dangerous driving.

The high-speed collision involving a four-vehicle pile-up happened on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at around 9.20pm on the M2 Southbound carriageway near the Sandyknowes road junction in Newtownabbey.[1][2]

Ms Dunlop (59) was driving her VW Polo car when McNeill ploughed into the rear of her car at around 70 mph.

It resulted in the mother-of-four's car being shunted into the rear of a Red Honda Civic, which in turn struck an articulated lorry.

A number of people rushed to her aid to give Ms Dunlop CPR before paramedics arrived on the scene and conveyed her to hospital.

Sadly, Ms Dunlop died in hospital from her injuries two days later.

At the time of the collision traffic was at a standstill due to roadworks between Junction Four at Sandyknowes and Junction 2 at Greencastle.

Road conditions at the time were good, and while it had been raining earlier in the evening, it was not raining at the time of the collision.

The motorway was closed at Sandyknowes and traffic was directed onto a diversion which was signposted and speed in the area had been reduced.

Belfast Crown Court heard that in the lead up to the crash, McNeill had been using his mobile phone for around 15 minutes to contact people by message through Snapchat and Facebook Messenger.

A subsequent examination of his phone revealed that he deleted two apps from his phone before the NI Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene.

Later that night, while being treated in hospital, the defendant also deleted dating apps Tinder and Badoo from his device.

Defence counsel Ian Turkington KC said that following the collision, McNeill had to be cut out of his Audi S3 vehicle and sustained a fractured clavicle and injuries to his hand and neck.

"It is right to say he was a vulnerable individual in the build-up to the accident.

He had a number of mental health issues prior to the accident, and there has been a deterioration in his mental health after the incident for which he has received counselling,'' said Mr Turkington.

"He presents himself as some who is desperate and anxious to change and was prepared to take steps on his own to do so.''

Mr Turkington said McNeill had told the author of a pre-sentence report that he had "no appetite to drive or get behind the wheel of a car ever again''.

He added: "I acknowledge the fact that there is nothing that I can say to Your Honour on behalf of the accused that will be as important as recognising the fairly immense pain and anguish that has been suffered by the family and friends of the deceased.

"Jonathan McNeill, for what it is worth, is completely sorry for his role in relation to the collision.

"And he fully accepts causing the death of Jenny Dunlop.

It is important that his position in relation to the death of Ms Bond is properly marked .''

Passing sentence, Judge Lynch said the deletion by McNeill of apps on his phone was an attempt to "avoid detection and mitigate his own responsibility for his actions, which I regard as an aggravating feature in this case''.

He said he believed the case was one of either high culpability or more serious culpability given the nature of McNeill's driving that evening.

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References

1. ^ the M2 (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
2. ^ Newtownabbey. (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
3. ^ here (www.belfastlive.co.uk)
4. ^ sign up to our daily newsletter (www.belfastlive.co.uk)