Another case of inadequate 'Justice'. 9 years for murder

CrazyRabbit

Two violent car-jackings (one involving a woman and young child), use of multiple illegal drugs, recklass driving, 2 serious assaults using a machete, the cold blooded murder of a totally innocent man & multiple prior convictions.

And all he gets in 9 years in prison? What a bloody joke.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1111/myersa.html

A Dundalk man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for what the Central Criminal Court had been told was a random act of extreme violence.
Angelo O'Riordan, 23, from Point Road, Bellugran, had been charged with the murder of Aidan Meyers at Upper Faughart on 13 December 2006 but pleaded guilty to manslaughter during his trial.
He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Gearoid O'Driscoll on the same occasion.
The court had been told that two cars were hijacked by a group of young men in Dundalk on the evening before the killing.
The gang were armed with a machete and the first driver was slashed with it, leaving him needing 45 stitches.
In the second car, a woman and young child were forced out of the vehicle by the gang wielding the machete.
Mr Meyers, 37, had been collected from his sister's home in Upper Faughart by his friend, Mr O'Donnell.
They were driving towards the town when their vehicle was rammed from behind and their car was forced into a ditch.
When they got out to see what was going on, they were attacked with machetes. They ended up on the ground and were hit with the machete.
Mr Meyers was still on the ground when O'Riordan got into a car, pushing the other car over him.
Det Garda Charlie Geoghegan told the court that O'Riordan confessed to a friend that he could hear Mr Meyers screaming under the car as he kept driving.
Mr Meyers later died of his injuries. Mr O'Donnell later died of natural causes, although his family believe his death was hastened by the injuries he received in this attack.
The court was told that the defendant had consumed alcohol, cocaine, cannabis and other drugs on the night in question.
He had a list of previous convictions, including dangerous driving and reckless endangerment.
Judge Patrick McCarthy said today that the details of the case were quite shocking.
He sentenced O'Riordan to ten years imprisonment and suspended the last year.
The judge also backdated the sentence to May of last year when the defendant was arrested on this matter.

prinz

Should be life sentence... and by life I mean....A LIFE SENTENCE. We need a massive overhaul of the legal system.

Firehen

Agreed. this guy is gonna be in his early 30s at the latest when he gets back out, probably still filled with hate.

Long term imprisonment may not be ideal in terms of reformation of character, but in some cases, its bloody necessary.

The_Minister

Normally I roll my eyes at the hang-em-flog-em crowd on Boards, but on the facts presented here I see no reason for a much longer sentence not to be given.

Duggy747

An AA12 Shotgun should be put up his arse and the trigger held onto until the gun goes *click*

Seriously, though, 9 years is pathetic for the crimes he's committed. People get locked up for drug charges alone for 3 years shorter sentences.

Dyr

Us plebs cannot expect to understand the finely tuned machinations of our legal system, it's not our place to criticise this cornerstone of our civilisation.

Spudmonkey

How when you attack someone with a machete can you possibly cry manslaughter? It simply beggers belief

not1but4

The weird thing is I knew Angelo years ago as he was in the same class as me in primary school. Even back then he was suspended for robbing things such as GameBoys and Pokemon Cards. I am pretty sure he got expelled not so long after that. Think he was kicked out of secondary school as well.

Hadnt seen him since primary school.

Wolfe Tone

The_Minister wrote: »

Normally I roll my eyes at the hang-em-flog-em crowd on Boards, but on the facts presented here I see no reason for a much longer sentence not to be given.

I suggest reading the Judgement in full, when its released.

There are reasons I am sure.

listermint

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

I suggest reading the Judgement in full, when its released.

There are reasons I am sure.

Poor judgement.................. :rolleyes:

Merzbow

Oh but the poor fella, isn't it society's fault he turned into a killer? Before we pass judgement on him, maybe we should pass judgement onto ourselves.. etc etc

jimthemental

Prinz is dead right a life sentence is a joke here and to be honest I don't see this psycho doing more than 6 years as he's already gotten away with murder through his manslaughter plea. The DPP must have done a piss poor job here.

Einhard

The judge can only sentence according to the conviction, and he was convicted for mansalughter, not murder as the OP claims. It looks like the DPP was far too quick to accept a reduced plea, and an easier conviction. If anyone is at fault for the leniant sentence, it's him, not the judge.

Orando Broom

Einhard wrote: »

The judge can only sentence according to the conviction, and he was convicted for mansalughter, not murder as the OP claims. It looks like the DPP was far to quick to accept a reduced plea, and an easier conviction. If anyone is at fault for the leniant sentence, it's him, not the judge.

Conviction statistics.

charlemont

its a pathetic sentence

Wolfe Tone

Einhard wrote: »

The judge can only sentence according to the conviction, and he was convicted for mansalughter, not murder as the OP claims. It looks like the DPP was far to quick to accept a reduced plea, and an easier conviction. If anyone is at fault for the leniant sentence, it's him, not the judge.

It might have actually been manslaghter though, I hope the judgement is released soon.

CrazyRabbit

Einhard wrote: »

The judge can only sentence according to the conviction, and he was convicted for mansalughter, not murder as the OP claims. It looks like the DPP was far to quick to accept a reduced plea, and an easier conviction. If anyone is at fault for the leniant sentence, it's him, not the judge.

Killing someone after attacking them with a machete is not manslaughter...that's cold blooded murder, and I don't give a damn if the judge/DPP says otherwise.

Justice was not served.

Mal-Adjusted

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Killing someone after attacking them with a machete is not manslaughter...that's cold blooded murder, and I don't give a damn if the judge/DPP says otherwise.

Justice was not served.

I agree, but Einhard is probably right. if the DPP changes it's charge from murder to manslaughter, then the judges hands are tied (though I wouldn't expect a judge to be able to see what real justice looks like from his ivory tower)

sentenced to ten years is too little, then he goes and suspends the last three years... and then he backdates the sentence to May 2009! :eek: so realistically, he could be out in six years!

this thug should never see daylight again

Saila

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Two violent car-jackings (one involving a woman and young child), use of multiple illegal drugs, recklass driving, 2 serious assaults using a machete, the cold blooded murder of a totally innocent man & multiple prior convictions.

And all he gets in 9 years in prison? What a bloody joke.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1111/myersa.html

A Dundalk man has been sentenced to ten years in prison.

I was reading away there, and then read it was an irish man :eek:

someuser905

he deserves death

im buying a gun

amacachi

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

It might have actually been manslaghter though, I hope the judgement is released soon.

It's always bloody manslaughter though. I dunno if it's the judges, the juries or **** investigations but it seems far too hard to get a murder conviction in this country.

PanchoVilla

someuser905 wrote: »

he deserves death

im buying a gun

In fairness, with the recent sentences we've seen lately, I won't be surprised to read about people starting to take the law into their own hands. If that had been a brother or cousin of mine, I'd be waiting for the killer at the gates of the prison on his release day.

Dudess

He pushed a ****ing car over someone...?

Saila wrote: »

I was reading away there, and then read it was an irish man :eek:

Mrmoe

I'm surprised anyone is still surprised at sentencing like this. Par for the course at this stage.:mad:

marcsignal

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

And all he gets in 9 years in prison?

9 years of This maybe?

happy out*

(Yes the legal system is a joke, this is ireland)

Dudess

Aw Christ... that pic makes me feel as sick as what the ****er in this case did...

Wouldn't ever want the government to have the ability to do the kind of thing he did, irrespective of whom it's done to. Life sentence though - yes, meaning until death - much in solitary confinement. Not even we bleeding hearts would dispute the guy is a monster, and fuk whatever his background is...

marcsignal

do you reckon he'd scream any louder than the innocent man he drove over and dragged 50mts down the road ?

bigbadbear

I feel sick after reading that

Millicent

marcsignal wrote: »

9 years of This maybe?

happy out*

(Yes the legal system is a joke, this is ireland)

Jesus, dude. Put a warning on that photo. Or maybe don't Godwin a horrible enough thread.

Dudess

Wouldn't care if e.g. relatives of the victims got revenge on him, but I wouldn't like a state to have that kind of privilege.

marcsignal

Millicent wrote: »

Jesus, dude. Put a warning on that photo. Or maybe don't Godwin a horrible enough thread.

guilty, pissed and signing off

nite

aDeener

9 years is pathetic enough without considering the fact that he wont even see all of that out

amacachi

Dudess wrote: »

Wouldn't care if e.g. relatives of the victims got revenge on him, but I wouldn't like a state to have that kind of privilege.

Aye, just because there's something that I would do it doesn't mean that a state should be built on it.

Healium

*grumbles*

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/family-cant-believe-killer-could-serve-just-12-years-2405060.html

Overheal

the kid and the car thing? not so much. This? this is worthy of my wall.

Pookah

Aiden was a good friend of mine. He had a lot of heart, even joking with the ambulance men on the way to the hospital, form the scene of the attack, and was able to walk from the ambulance in to the emergency room. Unfortunately, he was so internally damaged, he died a short while later.

I hesitate to use the word scumbag, but the guys who did this, and O'Riordan in particular, are deserving of the term.

Knowing what I know about O'Riordan, I don't think justice is being served by the length of the sentence, but I suppose it was a tricky prosecution for the DPP, and this sentence is better than none at all.

I just hope they find evidence on the other perpetrators, now, and that this sentence gives his family some peace.

Capt'n Midnight

To see how a human life is valued here - what else can get you 10 years in prison ?

Charities Act 2009 - 10 years for - Those shíts who push the fake charity clothing appeals through your door


Criminal Damage Act, 1991
Threat to damage property.
Possessing any thing with intent to damage property. "we believe you might key a car"


Passports Act 2008 lots of stuff to do with passports - This in a country that used to sell passports to anyone who invested a million in the state (not give - invest for 5 years , so they could retain the value of the investment)


Irish Medicines Board Act, 1995 - this also applies to cosmetics - this one beggars belief


Defauding investors

Investor Compensation Act, 1998 - 10 years - ha as if :rolleyes:



Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2001again I just can't see this ever happening under the current administration :mad::mad:
We have gob****és who can't even remember which bribe they got being let off (explaining the wrong thirty thousand) - and this back when you could buy a house for that amount

Capt'n Midnight

More offences that can get you a ten year prison sentence

A person shall not employ a non-national in the State except in accordance with an employment permit.

Waste Management Act, 1996

Buying stolen goods - things don't fall off lorries / dodgy guys in pubs / buy and sell if the price is too good to be true

amacachi

"Can".

Capt'n Midnight

The state has a duty to protect us from harm. By far the best way of doing this is to rehabilitate violent offenders (this includes residential burglaries).

If the state can't rehabilitate then the state could protect us from harm by increased policing / higher penalties to instil fear of sentencing (these aren't so effective) / or by keeping the person off the streets for longer.

By the way I'm not talking about three strikes rules or similar , I'm referring to persons with dozens of convictions ( and given our low rate of solving crimes ... ) Clearly in these cases the state has failed in it's duty of protecting the general public and it's duty to reform the person themselves.

We have to focus on things are proven to deter future crime.

Sad to say - not all those who re-offend are caught so the real figure of those who re-offend may be higher

Also it's well know that in a recession more people turn to crime (for obvious reasons) so the problem of how to rehabilite people or screen for those who are not ready to be released into society again are more important.



In the UK for the first time they recently released more detailed figures
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11692852

Newly published figures show that 74% of offenders were convicted within nine years of starting a community order or being released from prison.

The statistics, for England and Wales, also reveal for the first time rates of reoffending for individual prisons.

Justice Minister Crispin Blunt said the root causes of crime must be targeted.

The figures also show that 14 prisons have one-year reoffending rates of more than 70%.
...
Mr Blunt said: "Today's statistics show we need a more intelligent approach to sentencing that targets the root causes of crime and reoffending, so making our communities safer and better places to live.

"Reoffending rates among short-sentence prisoners remain unacceptably high. We will address this failure in the system by making prisons into places of hard work which prepare offenders more effectively for the outside world.

"Prison remains the right place for the most serious, dangerous and persistent offenders. We must stop the revolving door of crime and reoffending.

"We will do this by targeting interventions that work for victims, offenders and the community."

HavingCrack

I'm shocked the DPP even considered accepting a plea of manslaughter. Granted we don't know the full facts of the case but ramming a car off the road and then attacking a man with a machete, how the **** is that 'accidental'???

Dudess

Pookah wrote: »

Aiden was a good friend of mine. He had a lot of heart, even joking with the ambulance men on the way to the hospital, form the scene of the attack, and was able to walk from the ambulance in to the emergency room. Unfortunately, he was so internally damaged, he died a short while later.

I hesitate to use the word scumbag, but the guys who did this, and O'Riordan in particular, are deserving of the term.

Knowing what I know about O'Riordan, I don't think justice is being served by the length of the sentence, but I suppose it was a tricky prosecution for the DPP, and this sentence is better than none at all.

I just hope they find evidence on the other perpetrators, now, and that this sentence gives his family some peace.

Christ, so sorry about your friend - bad enough to lose a close friend at all, but in such an horrific way...