Angry Scenes In Court After Community Service Sentence Upheld

A court was left “visibly shaken” after a young man hurled a decanter at another man convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

The incident happened following a decision by the Court of Criminal Appeal which did not uphold an appeal by the Department of Public Prosecutions against the leniency of a 120-hour community service sentence levied against a man whose dangerous driving resulted in the death of a 28-year-old mother.

Sabrina Lynch had been leaving a caravan park in her car when she was struck by Andrew Keogh, 24, who was travelling at 120km/phr in a 60km/phr zone.

A young man, believed to be a relative of Ms Lynch, rose to his feet and began shouting profanities at Mr Keogh before clamouring over the barrister's benches in the direction of the area where the three judges were seated.

The young man, standing on a table in front of the court's registrar and the judges, picked up a glass drinking decanter and threw it in the direction of where Mr Keogh was sitting in court.

The glass, which shattered on impact, did not strike any person in the courtroom.

The young man, still shouting, was then accosted and removed from the court by members of the Gardaí. A number of people in the court room were left visibly shaken and upset by the events.

Following the incident, Supreme Court Judge Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns called for an "urgent security view", and said that risks to those working in and attending the courts "shouldn't be tolerated".

The court was later informed that Gardaí had detained the young man, and intended to bring charges against him.

Andrew Keogh, a father of one, received a three-year suspended sentence along with a €2,500 fine and a seven-year driving ban after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on April 21, 2006, at Mount Seskin Road, Brittas.

(DW/KMcA)