Custodial sentences for youths in car involved in woman's death

Four youths who were in a stolen car involved in the death of an elderly woman have been given custodial sentences by Dublin …

Four youths who were in a stolen car involved in the death of an elderly woman have been given custodial sentences by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Mrs Theresa McGrath died after she was thrown through the back window of a car following a collision with a stolen car in March 24th, 1997.

Judge Cyril Kelly described the killing as outrageous and noted that two of the defendants had shown no remorse.

Patrick Curran (17), of Millbrook Drive, Kilbarrack, Dublin, who pleaded guilty along with three other youths to allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle, was jailed for three years with the final two suspended. The other youths cannot be named for legal reasons.

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The court heard that one of them, now aged 16, had been released from a detention centre at the time of the offence because of overcrowding.

Judge Kelly said he showed little sign of rehabilitation and sentenced him to a total of four years concurrent on this charge and two stolen car offences committed afterwards.

Det Garda Thomas Lillis told prosecuting counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins, that the youths had entered a stolen car driven by a 17-year-old youth named James O'Reilly, who had since been killed in a stabbing attack.

The stolen car was spotted in Clontarf and chased by a Garda patrol car. The chase continued to Raheny and at a blind corner near the Hilltop Shopping Centre it collided with a car driven by the dead woman's husband, Mr Joseph McGrath.

Mrs McGrath was thrown though the back window of her car by the force of the collision. She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital and later pronounced dead.

Det Garda Lillis said that since his wife's death, Mr McGrath had suffered massive distress. Judge Kelly described the victim impact report on Mr McGrath as "very distressing reading.".

Ms Mary Ellen Ring, defending Curran, said her client's mother had taken him to a Garda station the day after the death of Mrs McGrath and he had made a full statement. He had shown great remorse and had distanced himself from the other defendants.

Garda Mark Mitchell gave evidence that one of the youths stole two other cars after the death of Mrs McGrath. In one incident, he was cornered by gardai after a high-speed chase. He then drove through a perimeter fence and into a public park. He fled but was later captured.

The two other youths were sentenced to detention periods of 31/2 years and one year respectively.