A man (21) whose heavily intoxicated and cocaine-fuelled dangerous driving caused the death of three young men has been jailed for eight years.
Keith Bolger of Insey Bay, The Bark, Laytown, Co Meath, had been "dangerous to the highest degree contemplated by the legislation", Judge Miriam Reynolds said at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The court heard that Bolger, with a former address at Lentisk Lawn, Donaghmede, had acquired the car only weeks before the accident in the early hours of June 20th, 2003.
Judge Reynolds said the families of the deceased men - Peter O'Rouke (18), Anthony Murphy (18) and Aston Ryan (21) - had been left with "empty beds, empty rooms and empty hearts".
She noted that the families had asked for clemency for Bolger and said she admired their generosity. However, she said, her duty was to construct a sentence that was proportionate to the offence and the offender.
Judge Reynolds noted that Bolger went on an eight-hour binge on the evening of June 19th, 2003, and had taken drink, cocaine and hash. He was showing off his new car and was driving at excessive speed when it hit a lamp post at Sutton Park and Sutton Road junction in the early hours of the following morning.
Considering Bolger's early plea of guilty, the genuine remorse he had expressed at the funeral of the young men and his acceptance of responsibility, Judge Reynolds suspended the last three years of the sentence. "He is a young man and still has a life to live," she said.