Driver... 6 months for a life...

[longrunsthefox]

This is unbelievable that this boy gets 12 months after all the adverts about driving and then he causes this devastation  ... disgraceful


Motorist jailed over mother, daughter crash death

A 21-year-old man has been jailed for a year for dangerous driving after causing the death of a mother and her daughter in County Donegal in 2008.
Sean Goldrick from Dunlewey, pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of Martina McLernon, 45, and her daughter Louise, 15, from Toome, County Antrim.
Letterkenny Court was told Goldrick lost control, hit a car then ploughed into the pair, killing them instantly.

The victims were out for a walk and had been staying at their holiday home.
Goldrick was formally sentenced for two years on each charge of dangerous driving but the judge suspended the final 12 months of the sentence.
He was also disqualified from driving for seven years and was refused leave to appeal.
The sentences are to run concurrently, in effect, Goldrick will only serve one year in jail.

Irish police at the scene of the crash only identified the victims when Mrs McLernon's son rang her on her mobile phone which lay in her cardigan at the side of the road.
The court heard that Goldrick bought the 1990 Toyota Carina car for 350 euro and it should have not been on the road as it did not have a valid road test certificate.
Mr McLernon said in his victim impact statement that his son Gerard - his only remaining child, had been deeply traumatised by the deaths and found it difficult to talk about his mother and sister.

"His last of memory of them is ringing his mother's phone and it being answered by a Garda who told him they had been knocked down."

Mr McLarnon also said Goldrick never apologised to them prior to the case and that the family were deeply hurt by this.
Judge John O'Hagan said that dangerous driving was a "particular problem" in Donegal.
He described Mr Goldrick's driving as "reckless in the extreme".

In sentencing he said there must be a custodial sentence.

"The message has to go out to young people in Donegal that when they drive like this and do something wrong they are in serious trouble.
"This is not easy but I must send out a strong message," he said.

[Celt_Man]

Absolutely shocking... 

You would never know what you would do in that situation until you found yourself in it (Heaven forbid it) but I reckon I would be seeing that driver again once he got out...

[Minder]

Hopefully he gets rehabilitated in jail.

[screenmachine]

It really is crazy - As the Fox mentioned earlier, they can have all the ads they want smashing people through walls and walking around graveyards but until they start handing out heavier sentences to people, who aren't road worthy or their vehicles aren't road worthy, after fatal accidents then nothing will change.   

[AZOffaly]

There was a case in the paper the other day where a 70 odd year old man got two years for something similar, in that he came up behind a parked car with it's hazard lights on and killed the girl in the car.

He was very remorseful, admitted he just didn't see her (probably unfit to drive), and he got two years jail.

He must be scratching his head as to how this lad got 12 months.

(Not saying the older lad didn't deserve it by the way, but it wasn't drink driving and was just a tragic accident caused by his negligence or his lack of ability to drive).

[pintsofguinness]

Hopefully he gets rehabilitated in jail.

He shouldn't be in jail at all, sure I'm sure he's sorry and he won't do it again.

[down6061689194]

Mr McLarnon also said Goldrick never apologised to them prior to the case and that the family were deeply hurt by this.

But any time someone appologises the family are on the news playing the "that wont bring such and such back"

Your damned if you do, damned if you don't.


And all the fellas that complain about sentancin on here, What if you get distracted for what ever which is not a fault of your own, say road conditions for example, loose control and kill someone, I'm sure you'd be glad of a year to think about, then a shot at rebuilding your life, and would gurn to high hills if you got 10 years or more.

[stew]

Mr McLarnon also said Goldrick never apologised to them prior to the case and that the family were deeply hurt by this.

But any time someone appologises the family are on the news playing the "that wont bring such and such back"

Your damned if you do, damned if you don't.


And all the fellas that complain about sentancin on here, What if you get distracted for what ever which is not a fault of your own, say road conditions for example, loose control and kill someone, I'm sure you'd be glad of a year to think about, then a shot at rebuilding your life, and would gurn to high hills if you got 10 years or more.

He may have been told by his solicitor not to make any statements to anyone regarding the accident, that would not make him guilty of having no remorse, it would make him smart enough to listen to his counsel.

[longrunsthefox]

Hopefully he gets rehabilitated in jail.

He shouldn't be in jail at all, sure I'm sure he's sorry and he won't do it again.

He'll hardly be rehabilated in a year after showing no remorse so far... although 50 years in jail might be a bit excessive   

[thebigfella]

Hopefully he gets rehabilitated in jail.

He shouldn't be in jail at all, sure I'm sure he's sorry and he won't do it again.

He'll hardly be rehabilated in a year after showing no remorse so far... although 50 years in jail might be a bit excessive 

How do you know? Based on the news story you posted? There is a perfectly good reason given why he probably has not spoken about it by an earlier poster. In fact, from the Belfast Telegraph; "A tearful Goldrick apologised to the McLernon family for what he had done" and "He said 'at times like this' his job was a difficult one. But he said he would give credit to Goldrick for his early plea and the fact that he had no previous convictions.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/judgersquos-lsquostrong-messagersquo-to-killer-driver-a-year-in-jail-14679377.html

Not saying I'm agreeing with the sentence or trying to defend what he did.

[J70]

It really is crazy - As the Fox mentioned earlier, they can have all the ads they want smashing people through walls and walking around graveyards but until they start handing out heavier sentences to people, who aren't road worthy or their vehicles aren't road worthy, after fatal accidents then nothing will change.

Young men think they are invincible behind the wheel and it will never happen to them. But yes, serious sentences are needed - if it only makes one idiot think twice and saves a life, its worth it. However, its about time they started putting serious restrictions on young people driving. Raise the driving age to 18 with a very restricted license to begin, then gradually allow them more leeway as they got older and more sensible. They do need to do something in Donegal specifically though - the boy-racer culture there is just ridiculous. Whether its more gardai or whatever, I don't know.

At least this lad pleaded guilty and saved the family the ordeal of a trial.