Out of touch - Hit-and-run sentence

IT would not be surprising if the family of Paudie O’Leary, a 42 year-old father of four who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in July 2012 outside Killarney, the people of Kerry and the gardaí who worked so hard to see that Shane Fitzgerald was convicted for the crime, were surprised if not angry with the sentenced imposed on him yesterday.

Fitzgerald was sentenced to six-and-a-half-years but the last 18 months of the sentence were suspended so he is facing five years behind bars with the possibility that the term may be reduced by up to 20% if he is of good behaviour.

Four years in jail for killing a man while drunk driving, fleeing the scene and a day later the country, hiding the killer 4x4 from gardaí hardly seems a proportionate response to such recklessly criminal behaviour. Justice based on revenge is a mean and shabby thing, it is an idea that has no place in a civilised society. However, by imposing such a very moderate term the family of the victim will always have to wonder why our courts put so little value on his life. Once again the courts show how out of touch they can be.