The mother of a teenage girl killed in a so-called joyriding incident has criticised the prison sentence handed down to the youth who was driving the stolen car which killed her daughter.
Ms Sharon Nunan was speaking after a 17-year-old youth was jailed for four years at Limerick Circuit Court.
The youth had pleaded guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving of Tanya Nunan (17) in Limerick on May 5th, 2002.
Judge Carroll Moran heard that Tanya was walking home with a friend from the city centre when she was hit by the stolen car at Bengal Terrace, Limerick.
Gardaí gave evidence that the car had been stolen earlier in the evening from a house at Georgian Villas.
The car, which was being driven at speeds of up to 70 m.p.h. in the wrong direction along a one-way street, was followed by gardaí in an unmarked car.
Judge Moran heard there were four people travelling in the car when it hit Ms Nunan and another youth at Bengal Terrace.
Witness statements read to the court said that Tanya was thrown about six feet into the air and knocked 15 feet forward along the ground following the impact of the collision.
The court heard that the youth who was driving the car fled the scene and did not know until the following morning that a girl had died in the incident.
Defence counsel said the accused had no previous convictions and came from a broken home and troubled background.
Gardaí said he had been arrested some months after the incident, in the Dooradoyle area of Limerick, and initially had given a false name and address.
Det Sgt Tom O'Connor told the court that the accused did not appear to show any remorse for his actions when he was being interviewed by gardaí.
However, this was disputed by a defence lawyer who read a statement from the accused to the court. This said the youth was "deeply conscious that his gross criminal negligence had taken the life of a person the same age as himself".
Imposing sentence, Judge Moran said he was "deeply sorry for the tragic loss the Nunan family had suffered" and he offered his condolences to Ms Nunan.
"Joyriding is a curse which runs the risk of killing someone. If the accused had been convicted by jury he would have received the maximum sentence," he said.
However, he had to take into account the fact that the accused had pleaded guilty to the charges and he sentenced him to four years in jail and recommended that the sentence be served at Limerick Prison.
Speaking outside the court, the dead girl's mother said she was deeply disappointed with the verdict.
"It's not enough. I wish it was a stiffer sentence, but nothing is going to bring Tanya back. He didn't give a damn. He was smirking in the court and he didn't show any remorse," said Ms Nunan.