[QUOTE=“fenwaypark, post: 1059289, member: 276”]No problem. All the lads in this discussion are for the most part while collar and third level educated. To anyone with average intelligence the actions of the accused pre and post crash are grotesque.
However, I have known lads like the accused growing up (as most of us have) and they have no cop, no ability to rationalise situations etc. The fact that his old fella had to speak on his behalf in court and the fact that a number of families of the victims asked for no custodial sentence leads me to this conclusion.
I may be wrong but I doubt it.[/QUOTE]
Great post. I suspect this is bang on. I think the sentencing is fair enough in the circumstances (he also has a life sentence with that guilt he has to carry around with him). He did not set out to do wrong, it was a stupid error on his part and resulted in a tragic outcome. All the lads in that car made a bad decision too, and not wearing seat-belts etc. The young fella is a victim of bad education and a bad cluture of boy racers in Donegal, he is not a criminal.
So a lad gets into a car, he crams 7 of his mates in, none wearing seat belts. He sets off at breakneck speed and ploughs straight into another car and kills 8 people. And you don’t think he’s a criminal.
[QUOTE=“Sandymount Red, post: 1059410, member: 1074”]So a lad gets into a car, he crams 7 of his mates in, none wearing seat belts. He sets off at breakneck speed and ploughs straight into another car and kills 8 people. And you don’t think he’s a criminal.
You’re either thick as pigshit or trolling.[/QUOTE]
He didn’t cram anyone in you can be sure they all made their own mind up packing into the car.
Jesus Christ have you ever even been part of a group pissed off their heads or on drugs trying to get home? the lads who more than likely pressured him into driving them all are just as at fault if not more so.We are all told from a young age never fuck around when it comes to taking lifts as young lads,I would rather walk home and risk falling in the ditch or worse than piling into a way overfull clown car of piss and drug heads,it’s Russian roulette.
I would call him a criminal but as someone mentioned all the years in prison wont even come close to the guilt he will have until the day he dies himself.On the flipside I would imagine if he told 2-3 of the lads to walk home the car was overloaded and the others made it home safe only for the walking group to be smashed and killed by a drunk driver.
While a custodial sentence is clearly appropriate, his experiences should be used in a positive way. Bringing him around schools to talk to young lads, show them the reality of what this does would be helpful.
The utter shite being spouted here is ridiculous, are we now to value how bad the perpetrator is going to feel for the rest of his life when handing down a sentence? Punish the crime, punish the criminal. He killed 8 people and he’s gotten 2 years. Its ridiculous.
playing devils advocate on this, but what is the purpose of jailing someone? is it punishment, or rehabilitation? is it to stop people reoffending? Is it justice for the family of those who died?
I just think in certain circumstances that sending someone to jail is a pointless exercise. I dont think crimes or cases in courts are as black and white as people like to make out. In this one, I do believe he should go to jail, but I’m not overly aggrieved at the length of the sentence. Although as Colin points out, it doesnt seem he learned from his mistakes if he had a further 2 motoring offences.
[QUOTE=“Gman, post: 1059477, member: 112”]playing devils advocate on this, but what is the purpose of jailing someone? is it punishment, or rehabilitation? is it to stop people reoffending? Is it justice for the family of those who died?
I just think in certain circumstances that sending someone to jail is a pointless exercise. I dont think crimes or cases in courts are as black and white as people like to make out. In this one, I do believe he should go to jail, but I’m not overly aggrieved at the length of the sentence. Although as Colin points out, it doesnt seem he learned from his mistakes if he had a further 2 motoring offences.[/QUOTE]
Punishment and rehabilitation. There has to be some sort of deterrent to crime.
[QUOTE=“Jimmy Mc Nulty, post: 1059298, member: 1168”]Fuck him, if that’s the case he should be made walk down that street every hour for the rest of his life.[/QUOTE] mountain roasters like @Kid Chocolate grew up drink driving and piling ten into a car after the dhisco, he will never get it.
fair enough. but is yer man solely to blame for the incident? I dont know enough about it to be honest, but was it a case that it was his turn to drive? Did the lads get him to drive? Did he have enough in the car and others piled in? It seemed that this type of driving and situation was not uncommon, and it sounded as if it could easily have been someone else driving. Again, it doesnt excuse his driving, as at the end of it all, he was the one driving recklessly and at speed. I just dont think its as black and white as to say he was driving, its all down to him.
I agree there does need to be deterrents, and it should be reinforced that when driving, you are the one in control of the peoples fate in your car. I am not sure how I learned, or what made me drive that way, but I know I would be really far more cautious when I’m driving when I have passengers. Maybe its a culture type thing or what you grow up with.
[QUOTE=“Gman, post: 1059481, member: 112”]fair enough. but is yer man solely to blame for the incident? I dont know enough about it to be honest, but was it a case that it was his turn to drive? Did the lads get him to drive? Did he have enough in the car and others piled in? It seemed that this type of driving and situation was not uncommon, and it sounded as if it could easily have been someone else driving. Again, it doesnt excuse his driving, as at the end of it all, he was the one driving recklessly and at speed. I just dont think its as black and white as to say he was driving, its all down to him.
I agree there does need to be deterrents, and it should be reinforced that when driving, you are the one in control of the peoples fate in your car. I am not sure how I learned, or what made me drive that way, but I know I would be really far more cautious when I’m driving when I have passengers. Maybe its a culture type thing or what you grow up with.[/QUOTE]
Surely the driver is responsible for those in his car? This is where is starts and ends for me. I don’t care about the persons education, he deserves more than 2 years for killing 8 people.
Its a tricky one, I’ll give you that, but 2 years for 8 lives given what we know of his behaviour that night doesn’t tally with me.