More road deaths, no jail time

Pub07

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0728/donegal.html

There was an article on it in the Irish Independent yesterday too. Why is there zero punishment in Ireland for dangerous driving causing death? It's crazy, there was no drink involved in the case above but I've read of other cases over the past few years where there was plenty of drink involved and the outcome was the same - suspended sentence. One guy I read of who killed his passenger was 3 times over the limit and and wasn't even insured. It's a complete joke giving suspended sentences to people who are extremely unllikely to get into trouble with the law anyway - they are basically getting away with killing somebody scot free, you'd be worse off if you got done for not paying your TV license. At least if you gave a scumbag a suspended sentence there is a decent chance they will activate it and serve some time for their crime.

If you kill someone while driving in Australia, for example, and you are over the legal limit you will be automatically found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and will be getting a mandatory two years miniumum jail time. Note, that killing someone while you are over the limit in Ireland doesn't even automatically mean you will be charged, let alone found be guilty of dangerous driving causing death - it's so ****ing stupid, by implication it is dangerous driving if you are over the limit imo.


The brits are tougher on it too - From the Indepedant on Sunday this year -
"The SGC (Sentencing Guidelines Council) said it recommended that "prolonged, persistent and deliberate bad driving" and consumption of "substantial" amounts of drugs or alcohol should put offenders into the most serious category of causing death by dangerous driving and be given jail terms of at least seven years.

A combination of these features of dangerous driving - particularly if accompanied by aggravating factors, failing to stop or a very bad driving record - should attract sentences towards the maximum of 14 years.

The SGC said it recommended that where death followed careless driving, a custodial sentence of up to three years is likely, with higher sentences where there is a combination of aggravating factors.
"


It's about time they toughened up the sentences for this crime in this country, no wonder people have such a reckless attitude on our roads - you can commit a crime that will have the worst possible consequences (a fatality) and you will be very very unlikely to serve any jail time.

MagicMarker

Who knows, tis crazah!!

Having watched ''Road Wars'' recently it became obvious that sentencing is fúcked up. Fair enough, it's the UK i'm talking about here, but some guy can steal a car, go on a joy ride, try and out run the cops and eventually crash, and he gets a suspended sentence. Then they show someone who does something pretty much the same, and he gets 5 years. It's a joke...

A few years ago the grand father of my ex was just walking down a country road, he was about 75 at the time, car comes speeding up the road, looses control and starts to roll, hitting him. He almost lost his leg as a result, had to go through intensive therapy and is still waiting on compensation, afaik she never went to jail.

Ponster

AFAIK in France you get 3 years mandatory per death caused for deaths caused when driving over the limit but most judges over the past 10 years at least have upped it to 5 years per death.

the_syco

You speed, you get a fine. You speed, kill people, no fine. The mind boggles.

Karoma

Moved to Politics from AH on the OP's request.