A young man lost his life over a foolish mistake

08-05-2014 08:42PM

Banjo String wrote: »

Quite sad to see the usual finger pointing and high horsing around the place.

Comic genius.

Neeson · 08-05-2014 08:42PM

The really foolish thing he did was kill himself.

Patrick2010 · 08-05-2014 08:43PM

eviltwin wrote: »

So what? Do you think the hotel shouldn't have brought him to court over it? Lets face it, if this guy hadn't taken his own life there would be little sympathy for him.

Your username is very apt. The poor guy made a mistake many people made but unfortunately some people love to take the high moral ground.
Yes he caused 500k worth of damage but he was obviously highly ashamed of his actions.
There are people on this island who directly by their actions (or regulatory inactions) who cost us billions but never showed similar remorse and instead enjoy living the high life.

ryan101 · 08-05-2014 08:45PM

The Mustard wrote: »

As regards the drunkeness and the fine, I think people could get over that. If that's all it was.

This guy was subjected to a media witchhunt. That's the real problem here. Remember that innocent Trinity student who was accused of evading a taxi fare? He was all over YouTube and all over the newspapers.

We're all potentially subject to the same thing here. I could get distracted as I drive home, and have a car accident, injuring somebody. I could be in the newspaper. So could anybody.

These days, if you find yourself in the media spotlight, there's nowhere to go. There's nowhere to go where you could prevent your face being on the web for the next few centuries.

I think that this poor guy could have killed himself because of the shame he experienced due to media exposure. It's not like the 1980s, when a face might fade into obscurity after six months. Your face is potentially on the web forever.

I really think that we're going to see this sort of tragedy again, unless people have some proper protection from the media. By that I mean proper privacy laws.

He probably would have been booted out of Australia, and then would have been forever wrongly known at home as some sort of scum bag who deliberately caused 500,000 damage to a hotel in Australia. I wouldn't fancy his chances of getting a job or fair hearing in Ireland again. I doubt, as this thread clearly proves, many people would bother their arse to check the actual facts of the case.

Ellie2008 · 08-05-2014 08:47PM

Skid X wrote: »

If you get convicted of a crime, your name is in the public record. That's the way it always has been. I don't see any reason for that to change.

You have to take responsibility for your own actions. He is not dead because of what anyone said on the Internet.

You have no way of knowing that, shame is one if the worst emotions one can feel. I hope no one in your family makes a mistake and gets to feel what s it's like to have your face front page of a paper.

daza2014 · 08-05-2014 08:48PM

Regardless of what went on, I think it is the news and comment sections that have a huge part to play in this story. The fact that keyboard nazi's are allowed free rein to say whatever comes into their heads on every outlet they can. I am not talking about "trolls" but the need for so many to express their opinion, good, bad, indifferent and not really think about the consequences of their words. I firmly put this down to the fact that people genuinely feel that there is a difference in what you can say online and what you socially could say to people in person. The fact that you can "switch off" your online activity... Yet people rarely rarely think about the fact that family and friends may read the comments underneath this story.... I was close to a situation which saw huge media attention spanning a full month on a tragedy and I saw how family and friends were watching online comment sections and being completely disillusioned and upset by stuff that was being said...While little to none of it was bad, it was the fact that all of these "strangers" were completely intruding on their personal "grief" and situation by having numerous opinions. Imagine this but add in a huge amount of people being really rude/disrespectful. Think the dark side of social media isn't really being understood by many yet. Imagine something that you did, incredibly embarrassed about, full of remorse then BANG social media gets wind of it and thousands and thousands of people now have an opinion on you that you already are struggling to accept.

He made a mistake, as far as I see it happened last year or there abouts...he obviously got through that but it hit the media yesterday from what I can gather..There seems to be perhaps a correlation between the media reporting and this news today. Very sad.

Donkey Oaty · 08-05-2014 08:50PM

ryan101 wrote: »

then would have been forever wrongly known at home as some sort of scum bag

Unfortunate drunken sleepwalker maybe.

Scumbag?

Definitely not.

clarification: At least to anyone who knew the case - not pointing fingers at you, Ryan!

Reiver · 08-05-2014 08:50PM

Ellie2008 wrote: »

You have no way of knowing that, shame is one if the worst emotions one can feel. I hope no one in your family makes a mistake and gets to feel what s it's like to have your face front page of a paper.

Thats a wee bit harsh. You likewise have no way of knowing.

He did something stupid and the media flew in like the vultures they are. Probably delighted to have an excuse to paddy-bash.

RIP, thoughts go out to his family.

ryan101 · 08-05-2014 08:51PM

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Unfortunate drunken sleepwalker maybe.

Scumbag?

Definitely not.

This thread proves otherwise, it was only when the actual facts of the case were pointed out time and time again, the facts they didn't bother their arse to check, did people relent.

Roquentin · 08-05-2014 08:51PM

The Mustard wrote: »

As regards the drunkeness and the fine, I think people could get over that. If that's all it was.

This guy was subjected to a media witchhunt. That's the real problem here. Remember that innocent Trinity student who was accused of evading a taxi fare? He was all over YouTube and all over the newspapers.

We're all potentially subject to the same thing here. I could get distracted as I drive home, and have a car accident, injuring somebody. I could be in the newspaper. So could anybody.

These days, if you find yourself in the media spotlight, there's nowhere to go. There's nowhere to go where you could prevent your face being on the web for the next few centuries.

I think that this poor guy could have killed himself because of the shame he experienced due to media exposure. It's not like the 1980s, when a face might fade into obscurity after six months. Your face is potentially on the web forever.

I really think that we're going to see this sort of tragedy again, unless people have some proper protection from the media. By that I mean proper privacy laws.

Yea i totally agree with you. With the internet now, something could happen in america and we hear about it in five minutes.

We all make mistakes and do things we regret. The media is now becoming like the new police.

Its like Kafkas The Trial is coming into full force

TimeToShine · 08-05-2014 08:52PM

Money and life should never be equatable.

Tragic outcome.

irishgrover · 08-05-2014 08:52PM

I had personally done some extremely stupid things when drunk. None of them have resulted in such catastrophic criminal damage or in me getting arrested. However I could see, in other situations, how with some bad luck some of my actions could have had much more significant ramifications. I thought about this yesterday when I read the original story about his conviction, I was mortified for him. He made an ass of himself when hammered and the world found out.
Reading the news of his death just fills me with utter sadness, empathy and sorrow for what appears to be such an unnecessary loss of life.

Donkey Oaty · 08-05-2014 08:53PM

ryan101 wrote: »

This thread proves otherwise, it was only when the actual points of the case were pointed out time and time again did people relent.

Yes, I agree - edited my post before I read the above.

Pat Mustard · 08-05-2014 08:54PM

ryan101 wrote: »

He probably would have been booted out of Australia, and then would have been forever wrongly known at home as some sort of scum bag who deliberately caused 500,000 damage to a hotel in Australia. I wouldn't fancy his chances of getting a job or fair hearing in Ireland again. I doubt, as this thread clearly proves, many people would bother their arse to check the actual facts of the case.

My point was about protection for people from being forever known as anything by everybody. I don't understand what your point has to do with mine?

Ellie2008 · 08-05-2014 08:54PM

Reiver wrote: »

Thats a wee bit harsh. You likewise have no way of knowing.

He did something stupid and the media flew in like the vultures they are. Probably delighted to have an excuse to paddy-bash.

RIP, thoughts go out to his family.

Ok but I think it's a fair assumption given the timing and the fact he d stated he was finding it hard to deal with the shame he d brought on his family as he saw it. I thought the post I was responding to lacked any empathy for him.

ryan101 · 08-05-2014 08:55PM

The Mustard wrote: »

My point was about protection for people from being forever known as anything by everybody. I don't understand what your point has to do with mine?

You don't think it relevant to his death ?

Muise... · 08-05-2014 08:55PM

If, IF, it was a suicide, let's not be too quick to blame media and the court case the media were reporting, and the comments on the internet about it.

Slane Girl - the first one that came to mind - didn't die over what must have been excruciating embarrassment amplified by internet attention. I don't think suicide is ever direct cause-and-effect.

ryan101 · 08-05-2014 08:56PM

Muise... wrote: »

If, IF, it was a suicide, let's not be too quick to blame media and the court case the media were reporting, and the comments on the internet about it.

Slane Girl - the first one that came to mind - didn't die over what must have been excruciating embarrassment amplified by internet attention.

Why exactly does that excuse such commentary ?

Thanks to the commentary that girl had to be sedated and admitted to hospital for her own protection, lets not forget, and is probably the reason she is alive today.

Pat Mustard · 08-05-2014 08:57PM

ryan101 wrote: »

You don't think it relevant to his death ?

I do of course.

Roquentin · 08-05-2014 08:59PM

irishgrover wrote: »

I had personally done some extremely stupid things when drunk. None of them have resulted in such catastrophic criminal damage or in me getting arrested. However I could see, in other situations, how with some bad luck some of my actions could have had much more significant ramifications. I thought about this yesterday when I read the original story about his conviction, I was mortified for him. He made an ass of himself when hammered and the world found out.
Reading the news of his death just fills me with utter sadness, empathy and sorrow for what appears to be such an unnecessary loss of life.

Yea god, if i had been videoed doing stuff when i was drunk it would be pretty bad.

I remember one of my mates was drunk and someone took a video and put it up on some bebo page. real bad form. employers would be looking out for that

Muise... · 08-05-2014 09:00PM

ryan101 wrote: »

Why exactly does that excuse such commentary ?

It doesn't excuse it. I did not say that it did.

The_Valeyard · 08-05-2014 09:01PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I've stopped reading the comments below news sites. They just leave me angry, hurt, disappointed and with a strong desire to emigrate.

Then I remember that these trollish keyboard warriors, even though they seem to be in their thousands, are still in the tiny minority, and I pity their small minded, pathetic, hate filled lives.

Never a truer word spoken. Ive also stopped reading the comment section on news websites, in particular a very well known Irish journalist website.

These keyboard bigots seem to act like vultures when certain stories appear and just spread complete bile and spew such hate.

Poor family and friends

suicide_circus · 08-05-2014 09:03PM

Thoughts with those left to pick up the pieces ie his family and friends

Roquentin · 08-05-2014 09:04PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Never a truer word spoken. Ive also stopped reading the comment section on news websites, in particular a very well known Irish journalist website.

These keyboard bigots seem to act like vultures when certain stories appear and just spread complete bile and spew such hate.

In the Uk they arrest people who make bad taste comments like the guy who was arrested after the teacher was killed

C.K Dexter Haven · 08-05-2014 09:07PM

Deathwish4 wrote: »

Too easy to blame alcohol. Everyone is responsible for their own actions.

I hope you're very happy in your perfect world.

RIP and sympathies to the family.

08-05-2014 09:10PM

I am not going to sit idly by and allow a man's suicide be publicly picked apart. His family deserve better. All families of suicide victims deserve better. What a horrible horrible place you must have to be in to take your own life.

If only there was more empathy in this world, it would be a much much nicer place.

Thread closed.

A young man lost his life over a foolish mistake

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