A youth who was jailed for dangerous driving causing the deaths of two teenage girls has had his sentence doubled to six years by the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Last October David Naughton (19) pleaded guilty to the offence which occurred when the car he was driving crashed into a seawall at Moyarta, Carrigaholt, Co Clare.
Friends and neighbours, Stacey Haugh (16) and Lorna Mahoney (13) from Kilkee, Co Clare, were killed and a third teenager was badly injured in the crash on October 17th, 2003.
Naughton, who at the time was staying at a home for homeless adolescents in Galway, had been sentenced to three years prison by Judge Con Murphy at Ennis Circuit. He was just a few days short of his 16th birthday when the crash occurred.
The three-judge appeal court, following an appeal brought by the DPP against the leniency of the sentence, yesterday increased Naughton's sentence to six years.
Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan, presiding, with Mr Justice Roderick Murphy and Mr Justice John MacMenamin found the original three-year sentence was unduly lenient, and said that six years, plus a 10-year driving ban, was more appropriate.
Mr Justice Finnegan described what happened to the victims as "horrific,". He said that Naughton had "ignored pleas to slow down" by his passengers and had shown no regard for either them or other road users.
Naughton had shown little sign of remorse and "had no appreciation of the consequences of his actions had for the families and friends" of the victims. There was nothing to suggest that Naughton "had learned his lesson".
Mr Justice Finnegan said it was accepted that Naughton had a dreadful family background, and took account of his young age. However, he noted that many of those who had assessed him approached accounts he had given about his life "with caution".
In making the application, George Birmingham SC for the DPP told the court that the offence was at the higher end of the spectrum. The maximum sentence Naughton could have received was 10 years detention.
On the day of the accident Naughton was driving "at excessive speed", was "showing off" in a car, which had no rear seatbelts, which he had bought for just €60.
Mr Birmingham said Naughton drove around Kilkee in a dangerous manner, and went over speed ramps "as if they were not there". He had no insurance and because of his age could not have obtained a driver's licence.
When on bail Naughton went to England where he came to attention of the authorities in relation to the unlawful taking of motor vehicles, and was subsequently extradited to Ireland.
In opposing the application Martin Giblin SC for Naughton said that the original sentence should be undisturbed. He said that there was no doubting the seriousness of an accident and his client had shown remorse.
Naughton was of low intelligence and had no family support. He should have been in care but, through no fault of the authorities, "had slipped through the cracks". Naughton was not able to cope with what had happened and had run away, but he chose to return to Ireland, and had consented to the extradition process.