Grieving father Peter Dolan slams delay in getting life sentences for killer drivers after meeting Justice Minister Naomi Long up to four times
An Omagh man who is campaigning for life sentences for killer drivers says it is unreasonable that NI has still not adopted them almost seven years after England.
Peter Dolan began campaigning for life sentences after a drink-and-drug impaired driver mounted a pavement and killed his 19-year-old son Enda in Belfast in 2014.
He was disgusted when the driver was only given 3.5 years in prison and objected, resulting in it being raised to seven.
Peter has met Justice Minister Naomi Long three or four times to press for life sentences for killer drivers, but despite pledges to increase NI's maximum sentence from 14 years to 20, it has still not been done.
"It is absolutely not reasonable that we still don't have life sentences for death by dangerous driving in Northern Ireland by now," Mr Dolan told the News Letter.
"I have met Naomi Long probably three, maybe four times now and we have presented our case to the justice committee. We've been given the undertaking by Naomi that they are going to change the law."
"But why does it take so long for this to happen? This was first mooted in 2016."
(In 2022 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Justice and to Young People).
Last week prison officer Gavin Hume, 30, was jailed for one year for killing 63-year-old Edward Montgomery, after driving at up to 108mph on a 60mph road near Coleraine.
Mr Montgomery's son Matthew, 21, also suffered serious injuries to his arms, legs and ankles.
Mr Dolan said: "The driver killed Edward Montgomery and left his son Matthew with life changing injuries but he only got one year. That struck me as totally wrong - that is unduly lenient.
"Why do the judges not use deterrent sentences when the maximum sentence available is already 14 years? What do you have to do to get 14 years? Mow down 20 people?".
He is calling for a meeting with the Lady Chief Justice about the issue.
His son Enda was killed in 2014 and after lobbying Justice Minister Claire Sugden, she called for a review of sentencing in 2016.
England introduced life sentences the next year, 2017.
Peter says Northern Ireland is now on schedule to introduce life sentences in May 2026
"It will soon be 10 years [since Enda died] and I've been fighting ever since for life sentences,” he said.
A Department of Justice Spokeswoman said Minister Long recently met again with the Dolan family and assured them that, “despite the absence of an Executive for two years which had frustrated progress, it remains her intention to progress this important legislation in a Sentencing Bill in this mandate."
Subject to approval by the Executive, the department aims to introduce the Bill to the assembly in 2025.
A spokeswoman for the Lady Chief Justice said she can only comment on sentences where she is sitting in a appeal case.
In general, she said sentences depend on the plea, level of culpability, previous convictions and aggravating or mitigating factors. They also follow guideliness set down by the Court of Appeal.
"If the Director of Public Prosecutions considers the sentence to be too lenient, he has the power to refer it to the Court of Appeal for review,” she added.
Chair of the Stormon Justice Committee, Joanne Bunting MLA said: “Sentences handed down must reflect the seriousness of the crime that has been committed.
"It is important that our justice system recognises that every crime has individuals at the heart of it who have suffered. Certainly the public expects the punishment to fit the crime and at times have felt the gravity of the crime was not ultimately reflected in the sentencing or indeed the discount applied to the tariff.
“At present the judges have sentencing guidelines they must follow and a degree of flexibility to take account of the individual circumstances of each case. There should be space to make a distinction between those who wilfully and recklessly break the law and those involved in accidents with a terrible outcome.
“Should a decision be taken to introduce mandatory sentences, then it may well reduce judges' ability to ensure an individual approach is taken to each case and for sentences to reflect the extenuating or aggravating circumstances of that incident.
“In the absence of such mandatory sentences then there is a challenge for the judiciary to ensure that public confidence is maintained through handing down appropriate sentences within the current guidelines.”