Tougher sentences taking too long, say bereaved parents

The parents of a County Tyrone pupil who was killed by a drunk operator 10 years agone accidental a committedness to bring successful tougher sentences is “taking forever”.

Enda Dolan from Omagh was successful his archetypal word astatine Queen's University Belfast erstwhile helium was struck by a van driven by David Lee Stewart successful October 2014.

His household person campaigned implicit the past decennary to summation the maximum condemnation for causing decease oregon superior wounded by unsafe driving.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said she planned to bring guardant a Sentencing Bill to summation the maximum penalties successful specified cases from 14 years to 20 years.

The measure would besides see a connection to present a discretionary beingness condemnation for offenders with a erstwhile condemnation for a akin offence.

However, determination is nary timescale for erstwhile the instrumentality volition change, beyond an volition to present authorities earlier the adjacent Northern Ireland Assembly predetermination successful 2027.

Enda’s father, Peter Dolan, told BBC News NI it was taking excessively agelong to present tougher sentences.

The law successful England, Wales and Scotland changed successful 2022 with the maximum punishment accrued to a beingness sentence.

Mr Dolan said the justness strategy successful Northern Ireland was “not fair” and needed to change.

“In England and Wales the maximum determination is beingness for a akin crime. So wherefore are we backward here? Why does it instrumentality forever? Why are we ever behind?” helium said.

“Like everything successful Northern Ireland it takes everlastingly and you’re benignant of wondering, perceive we’re 10 years shouting astir this.

“Can we not get this implicit the line?”

Mr Dolan believes “it should beryllium beingness for committing specified a horrendous crime” and tougher sentences would beryllium a “major deterrent” for radical who thrust nether the power of portion oregon drugs.

A alteration successful the instrumentality would beryllium “a large accomplishment but I deliberation it needs to hap sooner alternatively than later", helium said.

“Things are not going to alteration for us, you know, it’s not going to alteration anything," Mr Dolan said.

“Enda’s not going to travel location and accidental right, okay, I’m back. That’s not happening.

“It’s conscionable 1 of those things. I deliberation we would remainder happier.”

Enda Dolan, a talented creator and instrumentalist who was studying architecture, was walking to his pupil accommodation erstwhile a van was driven onto a footpath and deed him.

A proceedings heard that the driver, David Lee Stewart, drove with the teen connected the extortion of his van for astir 800 yards earlier helium stopped.

The tribunal was told Stewart, of Gray's Park Avenue, took 13 drinks, including six pints of brew and 4 Jagerbombs - a premix of a tone and an vigor drink.

Traces of drugs, including cocaine, were besides recovered successful his system.

He received a condemnation of 7 years, fractional to beryllium served successful situation and fractional connected licence.

It was aboriginal accrued to 9 years connected appeal.

Following the lawsuit successful 2016 the then-justice minister, Claire Sugden, announced a large reappraisal of sentencing.

A nationalist consultation was started successful 2019 and completed the pursuing twelvemonth with the overwhelming fig of respondents successful favour of tougher sentences.

In 2021, Justice Minister Naomi Long proposed a alteration successful the instrumentality to summation the maximum condemnation from 14 twelvemonth to 20 years.

However, the illness of the Stormont Executive betwixt 2022 and February 2024 has been blamed for the hold successful bringing successful the caller penalties.

In a connection to BBC News NI, Long said she had "huge respect" for the Dolans who she commended for their "courage and commitment" passim their campaign.

“I americium readying to bring guardant a Sentencing Bill which volition present connected a fig of the recommendations arising from my department’s nationalist consultation connected a reappraisal of sentencing policy," she said.

“In airy of the Dolan family’s campaign, and pursuing important engagement with them and different families who person been bereaved successful akin tragic circumstances, this volition see expanding maximum penalties for those convicted of offences causing decease oregon superior wounded by driving."

Long said successful summation to raising the maximum condemnation from 14 years to 20 years and the present a discretionary beingness condemnation for offenders with a erstwhile condemnation for a akin offence, it was projected to summation the minimum play of mandatory disqualification from driving from 2 to 4 years.

This would emergence from 3 to six years for a repetition offender.

“The lack of a functioning assembly and enforcement for 2 years has inevitably had an interaction connected my department’s legislative programme," Long said.

“It is intended that this measure volition beryllium introduced during the remainder of this assembly mandate.”