Woman seriously injured after being struck in face by firework

Still stihl waters 3

@fergiesfolly you should calm down, justice is handed down in the clear light of day, emotions don't come into it thankfully, there has to be a line between revenge and rehabilitation, what's the end game in locking a young lad up with no previous convictions and little chance of recidivism over a moment of unintended madness, it was a balanced sentence imo

Be right back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099268#Comment_120099268

Apparently she wanted to become a surgeon which is now no longer possible. Horrible incident.

Antipathetic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100933#Comment_120100933

I'm not attempting to downplay the seriousness of her injury, but from some brief googling I did out of curiosity, it seems that losing an eye may not necessarily prevent you from becoming a surgeon and it doesn't seem like it would prevent you from becoming at least a doctor, although to be honest I have no idea what the entry requirements are for medical school in this country.

Be right back

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100977#Comment_120100977

Oh right. I just watched the report on the news about it last night and that's what it said.

Homelander

I think it was a fair enough sentence given it's actually custodial.

Far too often we see people walk out of court with suspended sentences over willfully violent crimes.

The guy did a stupid thing, but he didn't set out to actively hurt anyone - that's not any excuse, and he's rightfully being punished for the consequences of that stupid action.

It is absolutely terrible for that young woman, but locking the guy up for years wouldn't serve any purpose either. He's guilty of utter stupidity, but I wouldn't be drawing parallels between his crime and those of people who deliberately set out to break the law and cause violence/damage/abuse or inflict suffering on others.

I think we are all, unfortunately, well-used to reading outrageous outcomes to court stories, but I don't think this is one of them. There are innumerable cases where people commit violent assaults, including on Gardaí, that get suspended sentences.

We had a case in Galway a while back where a drink-driver killed a pedestrian and knocked down two Gardaí, one of whom was left with serious life changing injuries and almost died. He was initially given community service until an appeal saw him jailed.

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103173#Comment_120103173

@Homelander "but I wouldn't be drawing parallels between his crime and those of people who deliberately set out to break the law"

But he did actually set out to deliberately break the law. He acquired fireworks illegally, or brought them into the country illegally. He set them off in a public place illegally. Unless you're trying to argue that he wasn't aware fireworks are illegal in this country............?

FishOnABike

Considering that it is an offence to throw or direct any ignited firework at a person or property, fines of up to €10,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment can apply, the sentence would seem to be to the lower end of the scale.

There's enough publicity every year about the potential dangers of fireworks so it's not like anyone can reasonably plead ignorance of the potential consequences.

A sentence also acts as a deterrent. There needs to be a serious deterrent to what amounts to indiscriminately firing an explosive device into a crowded public area.

Homelander

You literally left out the rest of that sentence. People who deliberately set out to break the law and commit violence against others.

Buying fireworks is something I'd put up there with drug consumption on the lower end of the criminal scale.

Letting them off in public is absolutely unquestionably stupid and reckless and he's been punished for the consequences of choosing to do that with a custodial sentence, but he never intended to, nor set out to, harm anyone.

Unrealistic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103555#Comment_120103555

Yes, I focussed on the "set out to break the law" part because that is the part that is manifestly untrue.

From where I'm sitting, fireworks are illegal because of the danger they pose to the user and to others. If you choose to break that law, and that results in exactly the kind of outcome the law was introduced to guard against; serious injury to an innocent bystander; then you deserve to have the book thrown at you. The fact that it is unintentional is a very limited defence when one of the main reasons that fireworks are illegal is that it is so easy for them to cause inadvertent injuries.

I get what you're saying about drug consumption, and I have bought fireworks myself in the past, but when you buy either you know you are breaking the law and you are running the risk of very serious consequences. There is also the fact that drug consumption really only directly puts yourself at risk whereas fireworks put unwitting bystanders at risk.

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120103537#Comment_120103537

I don't think many of the people who would be firing bangers at others would be even remotely aware of any sentences handed out, hence the sentence isn't a deterrent.

I think the sentence is fair enough, I wouldn't have been upset if it was slightly more, whats far more frustrating is the people who willfully harm others and get away effectively scot free.

StonedRaider

An eye for an eye if I was the girls father. I've nothing to lose.

Justice system in this country is too lenient. No real consequences to face for crimes committed. Bring back whipping like they do in Singapore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104392#Comment_120104392

The girl's father would probably lose about 9 years behind bars for an intentional eye gouging

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104392#Comment_120104392

You would until it would come to it and then you wouldn't, it's easy be tough online

StonedRaider

Assumption is the mother of all fcuk ups. Talk the talk..lets walk the walk.

It's not what you know..in this country it's who you know . Like I said, nothing to lose

inisboffin

Just curious, how the sentence would compare to someone who was drunk driving in a stolen car (2 law breaks), hit someone and gave them a life changing injury, could have killed them. Genuine question, as tbh I do see a strong comparison. Young person makes single crap decision, likely not intending to hurt another human, but surely fully aware that they could, and fully breaking the law intentionally. Would the sentence be more? Less?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105943#Comment_120105943

Three years and 9 months for a drunk driver who killed someone

Recent case

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-40872152.html

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104851#Comment_120104851

Ok

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106129#Comment_120106129

Watch out.

This guy watched "The Equalizer" three times.

inisboffin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105978#Comment_120105978

Death occurred, although not immediately after the accident, in this case. Seems like he had no priors. I wonder if it just been an injury what the sentence would have been. Googling this gives me wildly different case results.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107288#Comment_120107288

There are lots of factors in cases of this nature.

E.g. prior history (of drunk driving), age of victim, nature of injuries or death etc, the judge in question etc

Here's one with 5 years for a drunk driver where in a single car collision one of his passengers ended up paralysed.

Drunk driving would be viewed imo as having more "intent" than the firework incident imo and also it's an eye loss vs not being able to walk

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20184951.html

inisboffin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120107833#Comment_120107833

Yes exactly. A higher sentence for a person paralysed than another which caused a death. It's an interesting comparison, and yes the factors of illegality to start with (fireworks, a stolen car, no licence etc), vs mitigating factors (which some will wildly disagree about and they have a point): youth, alcoholism, broken home, etc (it's also interesting how 'comes from a good home' and 'comes from a broken home' are BOTH used as mitigating or influential factors in the verdicts sometimes!). The 'life changing' part is also very subjective. Losing an eye in some fields (like a surgeon) may as much of an obstacle as paralysis (not saying that either would entirely rule out an occupation).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120108019#Comment_120108019

I think that if you did a survey on having to choose one of being paralysed vs losing one eye the results would be pretty unanimous on the eye side.

SuperBowserWorld

Loosing an eye this way and the consequences of that has a huge mental impact on someone for life. It's not "just" a physical issue.

Like it or not people are judged based on physical appearance, people select partners based on same, people's self worth is tied up in their physical appearance.

Surgery and prothesis can only go so far depending on the damage. And their is lifeline maintaining of eye socket, possible further surgeries, costs of prothesis, possible huge discomfort from prosthesis or rejection.

I would imagine the person damaged here is physically perfectly able to be a superb surgeon, but is absolutely traumatised right now to contemplate her future.

It's another example of sure it'll be grand attitude to fireworks in this country. It's not like it's hard for the police or the public to spot who is using fireworks. And the affluent kids are quite capable of throwing fireworks too. Mummy and Daddy probably bought them extra.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104851#Comment_120104851

Nothing to lose, except your career, your income, your future earning potential, and most importantly, your ability to support your daughter through a difficult time over the coming years.