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Clockwise from top left: Niamh Doyle, Gemma Nolan, Aisling Middleton and Chermaine Carroll.

Young woman found not guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of four friends

Car passengers Gemma Nolan, Charmaine Carroll, Niamh Doyle, and Aisling Middleton died almost instantly in the collision.

A CARLOW WOMAN has been found not guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of her four friends.

A jury took little over 20 minutes in deliberation before reaching the decision this afternoon at Naas Circuit Court today.

They returned unanimous not guilty verdicts for 23-year-old Dayna Kearney of Crossneen, Carlow who was charged with dangerous driving causing death and driving a defective vehicle at Burton, Kildare on the night of 6 January 2015.

Kearney had been driving a Volkswagen Polo that veered out of control into the wrong lane on the N78 colliding head-on with a van.

Car passengers Gemma Nolan (19), Charmaine Carroll (20), and Niamh Doyle (19), all from Carlow, and Aisling Middleton (19) from Athy, died almost instantly in the collision.

Kearney wiped tears from her eyes as the verdicts were read out while members of the victims’ families were visibly upset.

After the verdict, Judge Eoin Garavan said Kearney had come to court as not guilty and nothing had changed as she now left.

He described the case as the “most appalling and sad tragedy” and paid tribute to Aisling Middleton, Germaine Carroll, Gemma Nolan and Niamh Doyle, their family and friends.

“For four young people in the prime of their lives to lose their lives on a good road on a good evening, it puts tragedy upon tragedy. Their lives can never be replaced.”

Judge Garavan said Kearney would live with the consequences of the accident for the rest of her life.

Judge Garavan said it appeared the collision had occurred because of uninflated or under-inflated tyres

“To think something quite small, easily overlooked could cause such devastation, it’s such a salutary lesson for us all.”

Judge Garavan thanked the jury for their service and said he appreciated it was an emotionally difficult trial. He excused them from jury service for five years.

Defending solicitor Frank Taaffe spoke on behalf of Dayna Kearney at Naas Courthouse after the verdicts.

Taaffe said his client’s reaction was of relief but was “tinged with great sadness for having lost four of her dear friends and great sadness for the loss incurred by their families”.

He said Kearney had undergone counselling for the last three and a half years because of the tragic accident.

“It has been a tremendous ordeal,” he said. “She is relieved but still shattered by events three and a half years ago.”

Taaffe said his client expressed her heartfelt sorrow to the families.

“They were all her friends who died in that tragic accident. She feels their loss and she understands the great loss that has been suffered by those families.”

The victims’ families were visibly upset as they left the courthouse quickly.

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    Mute Kenneth O Brien
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:24 PM

    Common sense prevailed here I think the poor girl is already serving a life sentence

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    Mute Ennui Kenny
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:46 PM

    @Reg: She had a provisional licence but no L plates displayed. Why are you going around claiming that she had no licence?

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:49 PM

    @Ennui Kenny: Do you know the difference between a driving licence and a learner permit? You are not allowed to drive without a qualified driver (with a valid driving licence) on a learner permit. She was not qualified to drive, she broke the law, killed four people and should go to jail.

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:51 PM

    @Reg: Completely wrong. She had a licence and L plates wouldn’t have made a difference. The problem was two under inflated tyres, something that could happen to any of us.

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    Mute Ennui Kenny
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:51 PM

    @Reg: How do you know that none of the passengers had a full licence? If she wasn’t allowed to drive or was breaking the law then why wasn’t she prosecuted?

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:54 PM

    @Aaron: She did not have a licence, she had a learner permit. She had no qualified driver in the car. She should not have been driving the car.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:54 PM
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    Mute Todd
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:55 PM

    @Ennui Kenny: Rte reported no full license drivers in car.

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    Mute Todd
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:57 PM

    @Aaron: An experienced driver may have noticed the tyres before undertaking the trip.

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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:01 PM

    @Reg: Whilst we grew up, a learner driver could drive without a licensed driver beside us, not knowing IF any of the passengers had a full license does not mean she deserves your comment. She drove a car, maybe her mums, or brothers or fathers, how often do you check your type pressure. It was a horrible tragedy and now judgement has been passed by peers on the jury, let it be. sad outcome for those effected by the loss, only having memories, but prison for someone not speeding, nor under the influence is pushing the bar to high.

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    Mute Arthur O'Neill
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @Todd: or ma

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    Mute David Conroy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @Ennui Kenny: It’s a Permit and not a license ! Not enough experience to be driving unaccompanied . She will serve a life sentence though. Dreadful outcome for all concerned.

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    Mute Arthur O'Neill
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @Arthur O’Neill: or may not!

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    Mute paddy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:05 PM

    @Aaron: yeah any of us who dont check our tyres

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    Mute Kenneth O Brien
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:05 PM

    @Reg: i no it’s horrible for all the family’s involved but the girl that is alive has a life sentence as it is what difference does it make if she went to jail or not her life is destroyed 4 of her friends died while she was driving

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    Mute Seamus Mc Meel
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:15 PM

    @Reg: A provisional licence is not a learners permit.Go back to America!

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    Mute Benny Dowling
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:15 PM

    @Reg: ur an arsehole. She did not kill any 1. It was a tragic accident

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:17 PM

    @Benny Dowling: Would you be saying that if it was your daughter dead? No driving licence, don’t drive. It’s simple.

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:29 PM

    @Reg: a bit harsh there Reg. It wasn’t a simple case at all. Factually you may be correct to the letter of the law and if she had been found guilty of dangerous driving causing death then maybe a custodial sentence would be appropriate. She was found not guilty of that offence therefore prison for driving unaccompanied would be way over the top and wouldn’t hold on appeal anyway. That’s a legal point of view. On a human point of view that poor girl certainly never intended any harm and it’s a terrible tragedy she will never forget and probably never forgive herself for. Any of us who have adult kids driving can take a lesson to check over their cars every now and then because young people just don’t think of consequences as those of us that bit older. Sad for all here

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    Mute Derek Walsh Ⓥ
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:46 PM

    @Seamus Mc Meel: Ireland does not have provisional licences. It has learner permits.

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    Mute Steve Smith
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:57 PM

    @Paul Somers: She bought the car months before it and did not verify the NCT was in date which was out when she bought that car. It wasn’t another family members. Part of being a responsible driver is to check the vehicle fully before taking off including Tyres. I always take a walk round my car before driving off to ensure all is ok, as this was taught to me by my father when I was learning to drive, and has paid off number times. Also, a full time driver was required in the 90’s onwards on 1st learner permit, not required on second. She should also not have overloaded the car. What came out from all of this is that she had very poor driving and car handling experience and broke a number of laws (no L plates, no qualified driver, no NCT, car overloaded) While a jail sentence would not serve anything a disqualification for 10 plus years and suspended jail time would have been just and send a message out to others in similar situations on our roads that driving is a privilege not a right.

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    Mute Mike
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:59 PM

    @Reg: So she should go to jail for something each and every one of us did back in the day? Drive her friends without having a full licence. She wasn’t charged with a crime today. She was incredibly unlucky that her tyres weren’t properly inflated, something all of us have been guilty of too. Absolutely ridiculous that you’d have her serve jail time to add further to the misery she must be going through.

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    Mute Martin Gordon
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:07 PM

    @Reg: so everyone who is driving on a provisional without a full licensed driver should go to jail??? cop on to yourself man

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    Mute Phil Hegarty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:16 PM

    @Reg: i think you will find that your head is up your own ass Reg, good man

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    Mute Finbarr Lucey
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:30 PM

    @Reg: the great man that never done anything wrong ever. Well done you.

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    Mute Bat Daly
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:31 PM

    @Reg: Thank goodness we have a jury system where people are given a fair trial y their peers instead of the sanctimonious fundamentalist howling from Reg.
    4 lives were destroyed and you want to make it 5.
    Jailing that young woman won’t bring her friends back.
    Maybe you should move to Saudi Arabia or Iran, I think you might feel more at home there

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:35 PM

    @Seamus Mc Meel: Ireland doesn’t use provisional licences anymore. It was changed to a Lerner permit many years ago.

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    Mute Mark Johnson
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:57 PM

    I wonder if she was a male would she have gotten the prison sentence? Just saying…

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    Mute Neil Ferriter
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:20 PM

    @Reg: You are totally of order with those comments Reg.

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    Mute paddyirishman
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:22 PM

    @Reg: it was a tragic accident u piece of sh^t

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    Mute Gerard Power
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:46 PM

    @Kenneth O Brien: That’s nonsense Kenneth

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:47 PM

    @paddyirishman: A piece of shit for thinking that someone who knowingly broke the law which resulted in the death of four people should do a spell in prison… I see.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:08 PM

    A reason why I get on my high horse about this is because this is the second high profile case of a non licensed driver killing people on our roads. Another female rammed a mother and daughter off the road where the car overturned and they drowned in a ditch. Needless deaths by selfish people who think they have the right to just jump in a car and drive without a licence. Punish them and put them in jail.

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    Mute Brianán McBride
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:19 PM

    As soon as I turned 17 in 1987 and got my provisional licence I was out on the road driving, always accompanied by my Mum; once I got more experienced I was driving my parents car unaccompanied, no L plates, I even drove the car to school a few times aged 18 when Dad didn’t have time to leave me. Checking the tyres was something I never would have thought of doing, I was taught how to change a tyre before I was taught how to drive. M
    y Mum said to me this evening she regularly checks the tyre pressure especially the front tyres, I don’t but will in future. Terribly sad case and correct judgement, I hope this poor girl finds some peace and my heart goes out to the families of the girls who died.

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    Mute Siobhán Ni Mhurchú
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:21 PM

    @Mark Johnson: no because it wasn’t a case of dangerous driving causing death .

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:31 PM

    @Jayo Breathneach: car was overloaded which compounded the problem that’s why it yawed with the weight on low tyres

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    Mute George Murphy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:58 PM

    @Kenneth O Brien: A car can be a lethal weapon. A car is the sole responsibility of its owner to make sure it is in good realible condition to drive, so I’m sorry but this woman Failed in her responsibilities as the owner of a vehicle and as a result there is 4 families grieving forever.

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Jul 12th 2018, 11:22 PM

    @Reg: not having a full licence does not equate to legal causation of an accident, hence the acquittal in the absence of evidence of dangerous or reckless driving.

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:08 AM

    @Jayo Breathneach: you will feel the car pull to the left or right and poor steering response .
    The tyres must have been almost flat if the cats eyes affected control of the car .

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    Mute Vin
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    Jul 13th 2018, 6:35 PM

    @Aaron: You should maintain your car to a safe standard. Costs €1 at a petrol station to do your tyres and you could teach a 4 year old to do it literally

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    Mute Mark Walsh
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:25 PM

    Correct Decision for all concerned……that Girl will be haunted for the rest of her life about the deaths of her friends

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:39 PM

    @Mark Walsh: She had no driving licence, should have gone to prison.

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    Mute Ennui Kenny
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:42 PM

    @Reg: I think that in fact she had a provisional licence.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:44 PM

    @Ennui Kenny:
    She didn’t have a driving licence for what she was doing.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:44 PM

    @Ennui Kenny: That is not a driving licence. It is a learner permit to be used while being trained how to drive.

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    Mute Ennui Kenny
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:48 PM

    @Reg: Pedantics. Are you claiming that she shouldn’t have been driving because you are on shaky legal ground here?

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    Mute Dave.
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:49 PM

    @Reg: We don’t know which one she was on, your car drive alone on your second I think it is..

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:50 PM

    @Dave.: You are not allowed to drive without a qualified driver on a learner permit.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:51 PM

    @Ennui Kenny: Nothing shaky about it, it’s the law. She broke it, killed four people and should be doing a spell in jail.

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:01 PM

    @Reg: would a fully qualified driver in the car have prevented this accident?

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    Mute Dave.
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @Reg: You are if it’s 2nd or 3rd… Look it up, unless it was changed.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @Aaron: Maybe, maybe not, but you’re missing my point. This women should not have been driving, if she hadn’t been driving then her four friends, in all probability would be alive and well.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:04 PM
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    Mute Danny Rafferty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:05 PM

    @Reg: A tragic situation but you are entirely correct there Reg.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:06 PM

    @Danny Rafferty: Which point?

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    Mute Dave.
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:10 PM

    @Reg: My mistake Reg… However, we are not told if anyone else in the car held a full license. Personally, I am not sure if it would have made a difference, it was an under inflated tyre, coupled with a slow puncture. Even an experienced driver wouldn’t find them faults. People seriously under estimate how important tyres, air pressure and condition are. Yet it’s a race to the bottom for the lowest priced tyre.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:14 PM

    @Dave.: Nobody in the car held a licence. If she hadn’t been driving it would have made a difference. Agree with you on tyres, never scrimp on them. Only thing between you and the road!

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    Mute Patrick Yore
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:21 PM

    @Dave.: that changesd a few years back

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:41 PM

    @Reg: Reg repeating the sane poibt over and over again doesn’t make you sound more convincing..it makes you sound like a zealot.

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    Mute Dublin Northsider
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:54 PM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: have to agree with the here. She didn’t have a full license and it seems mind of the passengers had either and she took the conscious decision to drive. She drove illegally and should be going to prison tonight.

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    Mute mbg175
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:32 PM

    @Dublin Northsider: not to sound harsh but the passengers travelled in the car knowing she had no full licence…

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    Mute Mark Johnson
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:58 PM

    or a garda…

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    Mute Mark Johnson
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:59 PM

    Is reg a garda?

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:12 AM

    @Dave.: if an experienced driver does or cannot detect low tyre pressure particularly on secondary roads then the word experienced should not be associated

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:13 AM

    @Quentin Moriarty: doesn’t

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    Mute Alan Mc Mahon
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    Jul 13th 2018, 2:25 PM

    @Reg: supposition with no facts one of the passengers may have had a full license.

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    Mute Insider at RTE
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:27 PM

    Cannot fathom why this was taken to court by the DPP. It seems just to be a tragic accident.

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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:33 PM

    @Insider at RTE: That struck me over last few weeks…..what was the point of the whole case???Terribly sad & R.I.P. to the young ladies but sometimes it is just an accident.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:46 PM

    @Insider at RTE: accident? Did you read the details? N It wasn’t an accident it was gross negligence and driving without a licence and a valid NCT

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:10 PM

    @Insider at RTE: Accountability .
    The driver failed to control the car on a public road leading to 4 deaths .
    The Polo had 2 soft tyres and 5 adults in it .
    Her inexperience saw her fail her occupants that day and she should not have been carrying them on her license
    She should be penalized for this act by having her license revoked for 10 years .

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    Mute Craig Clancy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:11 PM

    @Dermot Lane: jog on with your nct money racket!! Insurance companies won’t even stand with the nct these days.heard about and seen plenty of cars get through the nct to have a wheels fall off not long after the test or suspension failing.at the end of the day it was an accident and could happen to any one of us.she got her life sentence when she was the only one to come out alive.

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:34 PM

    @Quentin Moriarty: Quentin, she was found not guilty by a jury of her peers. She was prosecuted and found not guilty. Like it or not that is our law and the jury are the people presented with all the facts.

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:38 PM

    @Mick Murphy: in this case the law truly is an ass

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:49 PM

    @Quentin Moriarty: Lol…there are a thousand occasions I would whole heartedly agree with you Quentin. I’m on the fence here though. I don’t think a prison sentence would help anyone but possibly a conviction for driving a dangerous defective vehicle while unaccompanied with relative fine may have been appropriate. I dont personally think she was blameless but neither do I think she should be in prison. A lesser charge may have found a middle ground. But they can only deal with the charges put in front of them and that’s down to the DPP.

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:38 PM

    @Mick Murphy: agree. Prison sentence waste of time however she should be made take the bus for 10 years .

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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:45 PM

    @Insider at RTE: There’s no way she deserves to suffer more in the form of Jail that would be ridiculous. She will wake up to the terrible truth every morning. But I can completely see why the DPP took the case, there’s a fair few reasons. A jury of her peers heard all the evidence and clearly decided that she has suffered enough.

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    Mute Dermot Killian
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    Jul 13th 2018, 9:22 PM

    @Mick Murphy: my verdict would be guilty by virtue of driving outside the provision of her license and gross negligence as per the condition of the vehicle but no prison time. Deprived of driving license for 10 yrs.
    Personal responsibility is too easily excused to the detriment of society at large. But the jury thought otherwise apparently. You count heads not what’s in them and so goes democracy.

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    Mute Dave Slater
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:09 PM

    The DPP had to take the case. The car had no NCT, she was not licensed to drive it, therefore also uninsured, and four people died. It was probably one of those cases, especially given the jury only deliberated for 20 minutes, where the jury felt that she might well be guilty but that a conviction and custodial sentence served nobody. I wonder, though, if she had not been young, female and a student if there would have been a different outcome.

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    Mute Barney r
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:32 PM

    Maybe if young people where not over charged so much by Insurance Cartels and NCT racket, they could put the money into buying better cars with more safety features. How many lives are claimed because they are forced to drive bangors?

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:48 PM

    @Barney r: That’s ball ox !
    The nct tests for defective cars and costs about €40!
    So what’s your problem?

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    Mute Barney r
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:55 PM

    Being asked to pay extra 2k on insurance premiums that only increase, compared to mainland europe, Same insurance companies not recognising NCT tests on older vehicles. money could be spent on buying better vehicles with more safety features rather then taking shortcuts to save money to pay insurance.

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:13 PM

    @Barney r: Dont mind him, he is anti car and anti cyclist paying anything for their special lanes or insurance etc

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    Mute John Carroll
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:12 AM

    @Barney r: Premiums are based on what insurers have to pay out. You’re right premiums are a fraction in the UK and mainland Europe, but so are the Awards in Courts and Legal fees

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    Mute Dermot Killian
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    Jul 13th 2018, 9:23 PM

    @Barney r: that’s the best excuse for irresponsibility I have heard in a while.

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    Mute A O Shea
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:08 PM

    What would the verdict have been had it been a young male driver, can bet your life he would have got a far harsher outcome

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:17 PM

    @A O Shea: I agree that this girl should not go to prison and glad to see lots of support for them same here, except of course from the usual pay for nothing spandex wearing cyclist’ s, it is a very interesting question ?
    I do think it would have been a different outcome if it had been a young male driver.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:16 PM

    @A O Shea: I don’t think so. To me there was one thing that could have saved lives. The car had no check up. It had had a new tyre fitted recently and none of the other tyres were checked. Or so I’ve read. It’s a horrible reminder to get your car checked regularly. If that takes time, get the bus for a few days, that should be nothing to you, when you think about the result of car failure.

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    Mute A O Shea
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    Jul 12th 2018, 11:15 PM

    @Fiona Fitzgerald: we will have to agree to disagree on the equal treatment bit. In reference to the car having poorly inflated tyres etc, every town and village have service stations with air pumps, there is no excuse for not ensuring you have enough air pressure or a slow puncture repaired.Tyres and brakes are the two main things on your car that it should be a serious offense for not maintaining. 4 young girls who had their whole lives ahead of them are dead because of it

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    Mute Dave Malon
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:29 PM

    Such a tragic case

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:45 PM

    No further consequences like her driving license being endorsed?
    She can go apply for a full license now and be off driving in a few weeks time no bother?

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    Mute John Flood
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:41 PM

    Twenty minutes of deliberation. Two day trial. Not sure I could cope with this outcome if I was the father of one of the dead girls. It clashes with my sense of justice.

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    Mute Neil Ferriter
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:23 PM

    @John Flood: What justice would be served by jailing this young girl, she will live with that night forever.

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    Mute Johnny Magorey
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:12 PM

    @Neil Ferriter: that could be said for any crime. Treating these as “accidents” only allows more of the same. If you drive with due care and attention you won’t have an “accident”

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    Mute Neil Ferriter
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:28 PM

    @Johnny Magorey: Johnny were you ever young and inexperienced? This was girls coming home from a ice skating maybe laughing and joking and then this tragedy happens. Jailing the girl is not the same as comparing her to other crimes. No drink or drugs, not excessively speeding, two poorly inflated tyres which a lot of people on a dark night would not notice.

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    Mute Phillip O'Brien
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:10 PM

    In this case we’d have to ask what purpose a prison term could possibly serve.

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    Mute Reg
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:16 PM

    @Phillip O’Brien: A deterrent for people driving with no driving licence?

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:21 PM

    @Phillip O’Brien: A deterant for others serves a purpose.

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    Mute mbg175
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:29 PM

    @Reg: This country should allow no such thing as driving on a provisional before having ever passed an on road test. Ridiculous.

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:14 PM

    @mbg175: On yeah the great Irish Driving Test that teaches little about real world driving ..

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    Mute Johnny Magorey
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:08 PM

    @Irish Bob: if you drove day to day like it was your test there would be a tiny fraction of the “accidents” we have.

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    Mute Fin Tastic
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    Jul 12th 2018, 7:14 PM

    Serious question here – How does 2 soft tyres force a car to drive into head-on traffic? If the car had a blow-out, or the power steering failed, I’d understand. Surely only taking your eyes off the road could be the primary cause of the crash, with deflated tyres and a heavily loaded car being minor factors?

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 7:47 PM

    @Fin Tastic: At a guess Fin it’s possible the rear tyres were the under inflated ones, combined with a heavy load, can cause the front tyres to have minimal contact with the surface which can then lead to total loss of steering. The forensic collision investigator would have been able to determine this and put it in his/her report which may be the reason the judge stated these as primary causes.

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:20 PM

    @Fin Tastic: I was wondering the same, many years ago while driving a coach had a blowout on front left and nearly broke my arm holding on to the steering wheel.

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    Mute George Murphy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 9:34 PM

    While I do sympathize with all involved, I can’t but help to think.. change this case to a male of same age, no nct, on a learners permit. Would the Verdit be the same and would everyone here have the same opinions.?

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    Mute Andy Butler
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    Jul 12th 2018, 11:55 PM

    @George Murphy: guaranteed not!

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    Mute Barry O Toole
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:34 PM

    A tragedy for all involved

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    Mute Frank Kennedy
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    Jul 12th 2018, 8:32 PM

    The court, with all the facts, identified the tyres as the cause of the accident, not the driver’s or vehicle’s qualifications. That the driver lacked a more qualified driver in the vehicle, and that the car was missing paperwork etc. did not cause the crash.
    We’ve all seen the best F1 drivers crash when a tyre suddenly deflates and the become a passenger. Embracing the court decision will heal things a lot quicker than the driver serving 10 years when they became a passenger than day too.

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    Mute Steve Smith
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    Jul 12th 2018, 10:19 PM

    @Frank Kennedy: Part of being a responsible driver is to check the vehicle fully before taking off including Tyres. According to the Garda PSV inspector Tony O’Halloran who examined the car the next day, the front left tyre was under-inflated, while the rear right tyre had no pressure. One tyre in poor overall condition with signs of distress, wear and deterioration as a result of under-inflation, overloading, poor maintenance and incorrect storage. As the owner and driver it was under her remit to manage to repair such faults in a timely manner. A tyre she replaced prior to the accident wasn’t even new, it was a used 2nd hand tyre.

    What came out from all of this is that she had very poor driving and car handling experience and broke a number of laws (no L plates, no qualified driver, no NCT, car overloaded) so while stating missing paperwork or lack of experienced driver may not cause the incident showing disrespect for the rules and laws in place showed carelessness to her passengers and fellow road users.

    While a jail sentence would not serve anything a disqualification for 10 plus years and suspended jail time would have been just and send a message out to others in similar situations on our roads that driving is a privilege not a right.

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    Mute Mark Carlow
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    Jul 13th 2018, 2:35 AM

    @Steve Smith: 100% Agree. If it was a guy driving I feel the outcome would have been different.

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    Mute Paul Laing
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:35 PM

    I respect the decision of the Jury.

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    Mute niall
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:41 PM

    @Paul Laing: I would have liked to hear what the parents of the other kids had to say. If they were united in not wanting her jailed, then I would be satisfied with the outcome. If they did want her jailed, I would be hesitant to say justice was served.

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    Mute Peter Denham
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    Jul 12th 2018, 10:51 PM

    @Paul Laing: That’s unusual for you Paul.

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    Mute Johannes Baader
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    Jul 12th 2018, 7:26 PM

    Provisional licence is the biggest scheite ever

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    Mute mbg175
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    Jul 12th 2018, 6:26 PM

    Germaine?? At least get the victims name right…..

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    Mute Paul O Faolain
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    Jul 12th 2018, 4:46 PM

    DPP wasting time and money I was on a jury and wondered why the case ever came to court,idiots running the office

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Jul 12th 2018, 5:23 PM

    @Paul O Faolain: If it was your daughter carried in that car you may have a different tune
    4 young girls are dead as a result of an individual’s action
    All dandy stating that the survivor has a life sentence but the families of the deceased doubly so.
    Crash number of years ago outside Charleville where three girls died as a result of a woman overtaking a vehicle on a single white line head on collision .
    Pull up someday and you will see the only evidence of their demise in the form of a plaque on the barrier .(last bend coming into Charleville from Cork )

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    Mute billy o connor
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    Jul 13th 2018, 2:53 AM

    What a tragic accident, the poor girl had a license, was driving within the limit, no alcohol, no drugs and you have sick people on here saying she should have been charged. Tell me one person on here that checks there tyres for a slow puncture before they head out? you look to see if they are not flat and drive away! Some people are just plain no it all’s and aholes

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    Mute John Carroll
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:26 AM

    This girl was very lucky to escape further punishment than the constant reminders, flashbacks and guilt which will haunt her for the rest of her life.

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    Mute Jointheclubtoo
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    Jul 13th 2018, 9:59 AM

    Light car, small engine, big load equals high centre of gravity, makes it easy to lose control of those vehicles and almost impossible to regain it.

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    Mute Kevin Sweeney
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    Jul 14th 2018, 7:46 PM

    We all know that the outcome from the case would have been very different if this had been a young male driver of equivalent age and circumstances. And the opinions of some of the posters above and below would have been different calling for a prison sentence. In this country is not blind and wimmin are very happy to play the ‘poor little woman’ card when it suits them. Shameful result.

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