This article is from page 6 of the 2006-04-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
AN 18-YEAR-OLD youth from Galway, facing a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of two Clare teenage girls in 2003, has been jailed for six months in London for burglary.
The jail term imposed on David Naughton means a bid to extradite him in connection with the deaths in October 2003 of Stacey Haugh (16) and Lorna O’Mahony (13), both from Kilkee, will be delayed.
Naughton, who resided at a voluntary residential care unit in Galway before he skipped bail over two years ago, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary of a dwelling in 2004, shortly after arriving in the UK.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Naughton appeared in court on April 11 and received a six-month sentence in a Young Offenders Institute. Seven other offences were taken into consideration.
Naughton had previously appeared in court in England on a string of motoring charges, including aggravated taking of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
It’s not clear how much of the sixmonth term he’ll serve, but gardaí are expected to seek his extradition on his release.
He is alleged to have been driving the car in which the two girls died. It hit a wall at Carrigaholt.
A bench warrant for Naughton’s arrest has remained in force here, since it was issued at Ennis District Court after he failed to appear for a hearing in February 2004.
After he was originally remanded to St Patrick’s Institution in Dublin, Naughton was granted bail at Ennis District Court.
He was later returned to St Patrick’s for breaching his bail conditions, but granted bail after telling a court that he had been assaulted by other inmates while in custody.
Soon afterwards, the accused fled to England.
In May 2004, Naughton first came to the attention of police in England.
The CPS confirmed that when Naughton appeared in court on those charges, his guilty plea to being carried in a motor vehicle taken without consent was accepted. But other charges were withdrawn, because police could not be sure whether Naughton was driving the vehicle at the time.
He was due to be sentenced for the burglary at Wood Green Crown Court on March 20.
On that date, however, probation reports sought by the court were not available and sentencing was adjourned until last week.