This article is from page 1 of the 2006-10-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
THE mother of one of the Kilkee teenage girls killed in a car driven by a 15-year-old has called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the length of sentence handed to David Naughton.
At Ennis Circuit Court last Thursday, Naughton – now aged 19 – was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of friends and neighbours, Stacey Haugh (16) and Lorna Mahoney (13) on October 17, 2003.
After the three-year term was imposed, Lorna’s mother, Geraldine broke down in tears, shaking her head from side to side.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the outcome of the case, Ms Mahoney told The Clare People , “I believe that the sentence is not long enough and doesn’t deter anyone from doing the same thing.
“The message seems to be ‘take two lives, you get three years, you’ll be out in two and the State will pay your costs’. The State is saying ‘boyracers, keep doing what you are doing because you are not going to pay’.”
At her home in Kilkee yesterday, Ms Mahoney said the families had been let down by the State in the prosecution of the case.
“There has been a catalogue of blunders. First he was granted bail after absconding from the unit in Galway. He absconds in February 2004 and it takes until June of this year to find his whereabouts, even though he first came before the English courts in September 2004.
“Then the European Arrest Warrant used to extradite him contained only one charge so the charge of driving without a licence, no insurance and no tax, had to be dropped.
“The maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death is ten years but on the European arrest warrant, it said a maximum sentence of five years. So the judge had to start from five and give time off for a guilty plea and other mitigating factors.
“We would like answers as to who cocked-up, because there is no other description for it. My fear is that the State won’t appeal because it will be embarrassed having its blunders highlighted again. But we need answers and the only way to get those is through an appeal.”
The decision not to impose a driving ban on Naughton was described as by Ms Mahoney as “a joke”.
She also expressed anger that he was not punished for absconding and said he had been rewarded for it.