Phoenix Park tragedy

Shurimgreat

Hopefully the sentence will be appealed and he will get more.

There was a case in Donegal where a driver caused the deaths of 8 people and he only got something like 2 years. It was appealed I think.

Apparently its all related to intent. If you drive straight at someone with the intention to kill its murder and you'd get 20 years. If you drive recklessly in their vicinity and kill them, its deemed not as serious and only merits a few years.

There was another shocking case years ago when a guy driving an MX5 at 120 mph crashed into a stationary garda car killing both gardai. He only got 8 years.

I wonder what either driver would have got in the US.

sbsquarepants

HensVassal wrote: »

I'm not saying he didn't commit a crime or that he doesn't deserve punishment. I don't know why you are bringing all that up. I merely pointed out to a poster who said he murdered the girl that he did't in fact murder her.

Sorry, I wasn't actually getting at you - it was just your post that spurred my reply. I feel like the litany of wrongs should stack up.
You knock down a child - that's bad.
You knock down a child cos you were speeding - worse
You were speeding while drunk - worse again and so on.

In my opinion his sentence in no way reflects the seriousness of what he did. I've seen people get longer sentences for assaults, or for robberies. This man killed a child, it should not be seen as less of a crime than robbing a post office.

Rattser

thattequilagirl wrote: »

You mentioned the murder rate in your post.

In seriousness, the man did not set out to kill the little girl. He has a child the same age, and the judge's ruling stated that as a result of that, he didn't undervalue the life of the child. He expressed deep remorse also according to the judge.

I am going to trust the judge's opinion, since he knows a lot more about it than I do.

I know what I done, I want to apologise. I know i’m guilty, I have to live with it. I wanted to go to college, I’m sorry for what I did. I ****ed up and my son has to live with what I did, my mother has to listen to people saying horrible things about me.

http://www.thejournal.ie/phoenix-park-hit-and-run-sentencing-today-2721370-Apr2016/

That's not deep remorse. That's "I'm sorry I ****ed up."

bear1

An absolute embarrassment for the country.
7 years with the final 2 suspended??? Are ya having a fcuking laugh?
I'd love to know what the judge was taking when he decided 5 years was a good sentence, how would he have reacted if it was his child knocked down?
Dickhead of a judge who should have used the full force of the law with this useless waste of ****.
The only form of justice for him is that every single day the inmates kick the living snot out of him or... the DPP seriously appeal the sentence but I don't see that happening.

LuckyLloyd

Is public anger a good barometer for sentencing? I would say no.

Rattser

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Is public anger a good barometer for sentencing? I would say no.

No, it's not but five years with two suspended is a joke a sentence. He downed copious amounts of vodka and cocaine, was rallying the **** out of his car, pulling doughnuts, driving without insurance, fled the scene of an accident, killed a child and had previous convictions.

There's a middle ground between extremely lenient sentences and lynch mobs, you know.