This article is from page 11 of the 2006-10-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
A YOUNG MAN yesterday pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of two west Clare teenagers near Carrigaholt almost three years ago.
David Naughton (18), with an address in London and formerly with an address at Westside House, a unit for homeless adolescents in Galway, appeared before Ennis Circuit Court yesterday (Monday).
He pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Kilkee girls Stacey Haugh (16) and Lorna Mahoney (13), at Moyarta, Carrigaholt, on October 17, 2003. The two girls died instantly when the car in which they were travelling struck a wall only a few hundred yards from the seaside village of Carrigaholt.
Naughton was extradited from the UK in July and appeared before Kilrush District Court on July 26.
That court heard on that occasion that the accused was arrested at Shannon Airport the previous evening, on foot of a bench warrant issued on February 20, 2004.
The Book of Evidence was served on July 28 at Ennis District Court and he was returned for trial to Ennis Circuit Court.
The case was due to go to trial on the week of October 17 next.
However, Naughton entered a plea of guilty yesterday and the case was adjourned for sentencing in three weeks’ time.
Earlier, the court was told that there would be 19 State witnesses in the case and the accused was granted a request for a Senior Counsel.
Naughton first appeared in court in Ennis on October 24, 2003, a week after the fatal crash. He was remanded to St Patrick’s Institution in Dublin, but he was released on bail, on condition that he remain at a voluntary care unit in Galway.
After absconding from there, he was rearrested and brought before Ennis District Court where he was again remanded to St Patrick’s Institution.
At his next court appearance, he pleaded with Judge Joseph Mangan to again grant him bail after claiming he was assaulted on three different occasions by other inmates while in custody.
Despite objections from the State, Judge Joseph Mangan granted the accused bail, but warned that he faced being sent back to St Patrick’s Institution if the conditions of his bail were breached again.
However, he absconded for a second time, but on this occasion fled to England. In February 2004, a bench warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to appear in court.