A man who took two Snapchat videos showing he was driving at 225km/h just before he drove into the back of another car causing the deaths of three people has been jailed for nine years.
The 3-litre Audi driven by Keith Lennon (21), of Forest Park, Dromintee, Co Armagh, was essentially a weapon in the circumstances that evolved on the night in question, Judge Martina Baxter said as she imposed sentence on Friday at Dundalk Circuit Court.
An earlier court heard the car was travelling at 140mph which was equal to 225km/h, and this was 105km/h above the 120km/h speed limit for the road in question.
The two-car collision at Carrickarnon, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co Louth in the early hours of February 29th last year caused the deaths of mother and son Mary (82) and Kevin (58) Faxton from Bessbrook and Bryan Magill (24) from Newry.
Lennon, who was not insured to drive the Audi, went into custody in December last year after he pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter.
One of the deceased, Mr Magill, was a passenger in Lennon’s car. The two men had not met until that night.
Mary and Kevin Faxton were in a Peugeot 108 car that was struck from behind by the Audi as both cars headed northwards on the N1 dual carriageway.
The Snapchat videos, taken at 2.04am and 2.06am by Lennon as he drove, show the speedometer at 140mph, Judge Martina Baxter was previously told.
Lennon had also forwarded the Snapchat videos to friends while driving, including one of the passengers in his car.
After the crash he left the scene but presented himself at Dundalk Garda station the next day.
The judge said the victim-impact statements made harrowing reading and nothing would replace the loss of their loved ones. It was, she said, a horrific collision and one of the worst cases she had ever heard with three fatalities and “showing off” using social media.
Gross negligence
She said innocent people had lost their lives as a consequence of gross negligence of driving usually by young men. Such driving, such distractions and such gross negligence are not acceptable.
She said Lennon had not mentioned to his probation officer about being distracted or the Snapchat videos but he had said he was pushing the car to see what it could do. The car was essentially a weapon in the circumstances on the night, she said.
The earlier court heard how Mr Faxton was driving his mother, Mary, home after they had gone for a spin because she suffered from depression and going out in the car benefitted her.
Mr Magill’s mother, in a victim-impact statement from his family, said that no parent should see their child leave home in a coffin. She said Lennon would get visits in prison but she would be visiting her son in a graveyard.
Patrick Gageby, defending, previously expressed the profound apologies of his client who is absolutely remorseful for what he did.
The judge on Friday said she had no reason to doubt the genuineness of his contrition and his sorrow. Lennon’s mental health has deteriorated and he now has a diagnosis of depression. She said he would have to live with what he had done for the rest of his life. He has no previous convictions.
She imposed 10-year sentences in relation to each of the deceased, to run concurrently, and the last 12 months were suspended on Lennon complying with certain conditions. She disqualified him from driving for 20 years.