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8 months Jail for gatecrashing brands hatch race

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    #2
    h3000
    Registered Users Posts: 6,467 ✭✭✭h3000


    Jaysus I always taught that was a fake video / publicity stunt by VW.

    Well deserved sentence if it was real though.

    0118 999 881 999 119 725 3



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    #3
    smellslikeshoes
    Registered Users Posts: 3,354 ✭✭✭smellslikeshoes


    Bit of an example being made out of him because it was all on video I'd say, 8 months is more than I thought he would get. Don't get me wrong he deserves every bit of it.


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    #4
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    With such tight security, I wonder how many of those 80 Fun Cup UK race competitors raced at Brands Hatch this year?


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    #5
    ando
    Registered Users Posts: 5,382 ✭✭✭ando


    Good, knacker deserved it!


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    #6
    Mike Litoris
    Registered Users Posts: 6,034 ✭✭✭Mike Litoris


    Good. Still funny though. :p


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    #7
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    I thought the charge would have been something reflective of the nature of the incident, but no. It's almost Irish in its failure:
    a charge of causing a public nuisance

    Public nuisance! No reckless endangerment, nope. He purposely chose to drive onto a race track where cars were racing, not only endangering himself, his terrified girlfriend, & the two goons in the back...but also the people actually racing, right down to marshals etc. Public nuisance. And then laughed & joked about doing it again? Sorry, but that's a lifetime driving ban for me, along a more serious charge & respective prison time.
    Mike Litoris wrote: »
    Good. Still funny though. :p

    I found it utterly puerile tbh.


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    #8
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 25,611 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Myrddin wrote: »
    I thought the charge would have been something reflective of the nature of the incident, but no. It's almost Irish in its failure:



    Public nuisance! No reckless endangerment, nope. He purposely chose to drive onto a race track where cars were racing, not only endangering himself, his terrified girlfriend, & the two goons in the back...but also the people actually racing, right down to marshals etc. Public nuisance. And then laughed & joked about doing it again? Sorry, but that's a lifetime driving ban for me, along a more serious charge & respective prison time.
    Up to a year in prison would've been enough for me. Can they do anything about his licence etc. since it wasn't on a public highway?


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    #9
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Up to a year in prison would've been enough for me. Can they do anything about his licence etc. since it wasn't on a public highway?

    If they can't, they should be able to. Reckless endangerment shouldn't be resultant of it's a public or private road you're on.


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    #10
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 25,611 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Myrddin wrote: »
    If they can't, they should be able to. Reckless endangerment shouldn't be resultant of it's a public or private road you're on.
    Well it wasn't a "driving offence" as such I don't think. What I do on a quad on private land can't affect my driver's licence.


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    #11
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Well it wasn't a "driving offence" as such I don't think. What I do on a quad on private land can't affect my driver's licence.

    Well just you on a quad in an empty field yes, but this situation is a bit different. If you expand your quad analogy to you powering through a shopping mall on it, thus endangering yourself and others, it's much more serious. You're right in that in the race track case it's not a 'driving offence' per se, but that's just red tape. They should make it happen.


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    #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 25,611 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Myrddin wrote: »
    Well just you on a quad in an empty field yes, but this situation is a bit different. If you expand your quad analogy to you powering through a shopping mall on it, thus endangering yourself and others, it's much more serious. You're right in that in the race track case it's not a 'driving offence' per se, but that's just red tape. They should make it happen.

    Pass a new law just for this idiot? :P


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    #13
    quadrifoglio verde
    Registered Users Posts: 3,670 ✭✭✭quadrifoglio verde


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    Pass a new law just for this idiot? :P

    Laws can't be passed and applied retrospectively.


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    #14
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Pass a new law just for this idiot? :P

    No not just for this case, it's just the way it should be, but it isn't. He'll be out in a few weeks for good behavior I'd imagine, it certainly doesn't seem appropriate given how he endangered people. I don't usually like to speculate, but he could have very easily came out of the pit lane onto the racing line & caused a much more serious incident.


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    #15
    wexie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    Myrddin wrote: »
    Well just you on a quad in an empty field yes, but this situation is a bit different. If you expand your quad analogy to you powering through a shopping mall on it, thus endangering yourself and others, it's much more serious. You're right in that in the race track case it's not a 'driving offence' per se, but that's just red tape. They should make it happen.

    Really? So would that mean that if I were to get my car (lets say it's a SMART) inside Dundrum shopping center and go on a bit of a Carmageddon killing spree they could stick me in prison but NOT take my license away cause it wasn't done on a road?

    :confused:


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    #16
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    wexie wrote: »
    Really? So would that mean that if I were to get my car (lets say it's a SMART) inside Dundrum shopping center and go on a bit of a Carmageddon killing spree they could stick me in prison but NOT take my license away cause it wasn't done on a road?

    :confused:

    Honestly I'm not too sure, as Buttonftw mentions it's not a 'driving offence' per se...& more an act of endangerment in a private place.


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    #17
    christy c
    Registered Users Posts: 2,193 ✭✭✭christy c


    quadrifoglio verde wrote: »
    Laws can't be passed and applied retrospectively.

    Then they need to pass another law so that laws can be applied retrospectively ::)


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    #18
    kirving
    Registered Users Posts: 5,909 ✭✭✭kirving


    To be honest, I think 8 months in prison is over the top. Of course it was stupid, but he was in a very controlled environment, with experienced (if not fully professional) drivers, where a red flag would have eliminated 90% of the danger. Far less dangerous than very drunk driver for example.

    I don't agree with making an example of someone for the sake of it either. The punishment is either befitting of the crime or it's not.


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    #19
    Robbo
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,559 Mod ✭✭✭✭Robbo


    Relevant Sniff Petrol


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    #20
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Myrddin wrote: »
    I don't usually like to speculate, but he could have very easily came out of the pit lane onto the racing line & caused a much more serious incident.
    If he's on the racing line at any point on the track he's putting himself in serious danger. Those cars are driving at the limit and even if another race car is driving slow on the racing line it can be very difficult for one of these cars to slow down and avoid a slow car, especially if they come across them on a corner.

    The racing cars would fair better in a crash because of all the safety gear in the car (although there's no guarantee) the road car and the people in it are in serious danger though, he could have easily got everyone in his car killed if a race car slammed into them and started to cause a pile up.

    He was playing Russian roulette with the lives of the people in his car. Legally he might get away with a driving offence because he's on private land but he did put 2 other peoples lives at risk.

    Now that the law has given him a sentence the track should sue him for loss of earnings, misuse of their facilities, use of facilities without paying (theft).


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    #21
    Marion Morrison
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 33 ✭Marion Morrison


    Sure half the jokers and bluffers in ireland would be at it if they got even half the chance, at least this sentance is a bit of detterant. Playstation in an open prision for what will be 2 months. Security at any large event can always be breached, where there is a will there is always a way . . .


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    #22
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,026 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    wexie wrote: »
    Really? So would that mean that if I were to get my car (lets say it's a SMART) inside Dundrum shopping center and go on a bit of a Carmageddon killing spree they could stick me in prison but NOT take my license away cause it wasn't done on a road?

    :confused:

    The Road Traffic Acts apply in 'public places', even privately owned land with a gate (which most shopping centres have, even if they never close it) is a public place if the public are allowed admission, whether a fee is required or not. Your driveway isn't a public place, but the shopping centre car park is.

    Technically, the Road Traffic Acts could be applied to track days if street legal vehicles driven there under their own power are used :eek: but thankfully good sense prevails.

    Life ain't always empty.



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    #23
    H3llR4iser
    Registered Users Posts: 4,027 ✭✭✭H3llR4iser


    Sure security can be fooled, but looking at the in-car clip, he met people and cars on his way and nobody even raised an eyebrow. Brands Hatch management really need to step up their game.

    As for the sentence, it would be right if he did serve the jail term. As some said already, it's probably gonna be little bit more than a farce. I fully agree on making an example out of him (them, the two idiots in the back were fully enjoying the idea, only the girl seemed to have a tiny bit of sense); The simple fact that there exist people grown up enough to drive a car, yet can't understand how pulling such a stunt and putting the footage on Youtube would spell trouble...is disturbing at least. It really makes you wonder how many kids/young adults out there are completely delusional and incapable of understanding how they are accountable for their own actions. Did they really think they'd just get their 5 minutes of Youtube fame, a slap on the wrist and maybe the driver would be contacted by Williams for a test?

    Oh and yes, looking at the in-car video, he's on the racing line most of the time.


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