O'Donoghue apology was "a stunt", says Robert's father

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Originally Posted by Ringo

punch to the trachea, sounds like horseplay:rolleyes:

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Would you like me to simplify it? I know "trachea" is awful academic sounding but if you think that 2 kids having a bit of a scuffle and one of them impacts the other's throat sounds awfully suspicious, I'd imagine you've had a very sheltered childhood.

Besides, the second question was the relevant one.

As the saying goes "Don't hate the player, hate the game". He got the sentance that the charge warrented, he done his time and now he is a free man again. If you feel he should have done more time blame the justice system or the prosecution in the trial.

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

My opinion may be seen as cold and overly liberal by a lot of people on here, but the way I see it is; we have a justice system in this country, Wayne O'Donoghue was tried and sentenced by this system, he served his time and has expressed nothing but remorse. He chose to face the media and apologise for his actions, when it is widely accepted that he could have left the country and been given a new identity, never to be heard of again. His crime is one that most will struggle to comprehend, particularly his attempts to cover it up, but, we are not judge or jury and we accept their ruling. Would another 10 years in prison have made any difference to the family of Robert Holohan? I very much doubt it. O'Donoghue will live with the guilt and pain that his actions have caused, he will most likely be a pariah, at best, if he chooses to remain in Ireland. His family has also suffered and are dealing with the fall out from his actions. Maybe they will gain some comfort from his release.
It's a desperately sad story, but the rumour, innuendo and speculation around the case has been nothing short of criminal at times. People need to accept that the case has ended, a sentence was handed down and served, and now we need to move on. I couldn't speculate as to how I'd feel if Robert was a member of my family, it's possible that I'd feel differently, but that's my view on the case at present.

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Great post and it sums up exactly how i feel about the case too. I was delighted to hear that Wayne O'Donohue is taking the papers who printed those horrible lies against him to court in a libel case.

By the way, was he not convicted of involuntary manslaughter?

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Originally Posted by anto1208

So what should you get for obstructing justice ? i think 4 years is enough locking him up for life wont bring him back his death wasnt his fault.

When you look at that rugby player that left a night club p*ssed up got into his 4x4 to drive to dublin for a munster match the next day slammed into the back of a parked car killing the poor kid inside. Now that death was totally his fault yet the DPP are nt going to even take him to court !! He wont serve a minute in jail for killing that kid.

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Front of this weeks Limerick Leader. About 2 years ago, a father, his son and a friend from Bruff were driving to Belfast to pick up a new car early on a Sunday morning. Around 5 in the morning outside Nenagh they came accross some cattle on the main Dublin to Limerick road. The father and friend got out to get them back into the field while the son (i think he was 16) slept in the car which was pulled in on the hard shoulder.

Former munster and Shannon player, Eddie Halvey may or may not have been in a popular nightclub in Limerick until the early hours before he decided to drive to Dublin to beat the traffic for the big match on Sunday (again, I think it was Munster V Lenister in European cup on the Sunday) Just after Nenagh, he drove his 4 x 4 into the back of the car on the hard shoulder, killing the boy.

This week, the boys family have been told that Halvey will face a drink drive charge (he was arrested and charged after being well over the limit at the sceene) but a charge of dangerous driving has being dropped.

From my reading of this, Halvey will be charged as if he was stopped at the village corner just after leaving the pub. The fact he killed someone that was not even on the main road, well that's just hard luck. This is the law gone mad. I suppose that the case was looked at fairly. I also think there is no way :rolleyes: that Halveys sporting connections or pull has anything to do with him getting off :mad: with what looked like an open and shut case. And you wonder why we have a high number of road deaths with s h i t like this going on.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

Does anybody think he deliberately killed the boy?

If so, then his actions afterwards would definitely be cold and calculated. But I think they also look like panicked actions.

What crime was he convicted of?

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MR JUSTICE CARNEY: After the death, the cover-up was appalling. There can be no excusing what was done. There can be no mitigating of what was done. The cover-up caused incredible grief and distress to the Holohan family. It permitted of the body being mutilated by animals, it tied up the emergency services of the State over a protracted period and caused the people of Ireland as a whole to join in the Holohans' grief.

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http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=1&gl=ie

He really should have been charged in relation to his actions after the killing.

I bought the book on the Robert Holohan case last night and it is one helluva great read. Most of you should know the book. "Afraid of the Dark".

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Originally Posted by Ringo

He really should have been charged in relation to his actions after the killing.

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Charged with what, exactly? If he was charged with obstruction of justice after giving himself in and pleading guilty, it would throw obstruction of justice to the dogs and you'd never have such a confession again.

Why do so many people care more about what happened afterwards? When he was dead, he was dead. A dead body is no more representative of the person that once gave it life than the room they lived in or the clothes they wore.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

Why do so many people care more about what happened afterwards? When he was dead, he was dead. A dead body is no more representative of the person that once gave it life than the room they lived in or the clothes they wore.

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After the death, the cover-up was appalling. There can be no excusing what was done. There can be no mitigating of what was done. The cover-up caused incredible grief and distress to the Holohan family. It permitted of the body being mutilated by animals, it tied up the emergency services of the State over a protracted period and caused the people of Ireland as a whole to join in the Holohans' grief. It cannot be dismissed as being due to panic, by reason of the calculation and deliberation involved.

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If it was my child. Think that sums it up.

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Originally Posted by Ringo

If it was my child. Think that sums it up.

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Charged with what?

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

Charged with what?

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Perverting the cause of justice, wasting police time, I’m sure there are a few more things. I find it so hard to believe that you could be so cold as to say that the boys’ body was nothing less than a suit of clothes. What his parents went through, hoping that he was still alive. He gave them false hope. he gave himself up, after the funeral, when the Guards were closing in on him. I accept he’s served his time, but when you read Justice Carneys judgement, he deliberately gave him a short sentence, because he didn't want his sentence to be over turned.

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Originally Posted by Ringo

Perverting the cause of justice, wasting police time, I’m sure there are a few more things.

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As i said, if the police started charging people who voluntarily gave themselves up, confessed and pleaded guilty with "perverting the cause of justice" (afaik, since no contact had been made between the police and WOD before him giving himself up, it would be impossible to use this charge anyway... perverting the course of justice usually refers to lying to police and/or the courts) then what hope would they ever have of people giving themselves up?

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I find it so hard to believe that you could be so cold as to say that the boys’ body was nothing less than a suit of clothes.

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As a rational Buddhist, I believe that the physical is transient and hollow without the personality inside it. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust and all that. I just fail to see how the treatment of the body should affect anyone since it cannot get any more dead. I will agree however that he was definitely at fault for...

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What his parents went through, hoping that he was still alive. He gave them false hope.

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Though he has admitted and apologised for it since his first confession. What more can he do? Ask for these other charges? He cannot, since our rights protect against incriminating oneself.

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I accept he’s served his time, but when you read Justice Carneys judgement, he deliberately gave him a short sentence, because he didn't want his sentence to be over turned.

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Carney did in fact factor in WOD's actions after the event:
"I am not punishing the accused expressly in respect of the cover-up, although it comes into play as part of the impact on the victims and I take it into account in that regard." If your concern is that Carney should have applied what is considered an extreme sentence and could be overturned to less than the 4 year sentence eventually applied, then your issue is with the justice system. The justice system is representative of the wishes of the Irish people and if it is not, then it is up to the Irish people to change this. Spewing bile at someone who cannot do any more than stew in his own remorse achieves nothing.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

As i said, if the police started charging people who voluntarily gave themselves up, confessed and pleaded guilty with "perverting the cause of justice" (afaik, since no contact had been made between the police and WOD before him giving himself up, it would be impossible to use this charge anyway... perverting the course of justice usually refers to lying to police and/or the courts) then what hope would they ever have of people giving themselves up?As a rational Buddhist, I believe that the physical is transient and hollow without the personality inside it. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust and all that. I just fail to see how the treatment of the body should affect anyone since it cannot get any more dead. I will agree however that he was definitely at fault for... Though he has admitted and apologised for it since his first confession. What more can he do? Ask for these other charges? He cannot, since our rights protect against incriminating oneself.
Carney did in fact factor in WOD's actions after the event:
"I am not punishing the accused expressly in respect of the cover-up, although it comes into play as part of the impact on the victims and I take it into account in that regard." If your concern is that Carney should have applied what is considered an extreme sentence and could be overturned to less than the 4 year sentence eventually applied, then your issue is with the justice system. The justice system is representative of the wishes of the Irish people and if it is not, then it is up to the Irish people to change this. Spewing bile at someone who cannot do any more than stew in his own remorse achieves nothing.

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4. Justice Carney :I must have regard to and take guidance from the fact that in recent times the Court of Criminal Appeal has decimated many of the manslaughter sentences imposed by Mr Justice White, Mr Justice Abbott and myself.

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Originally Posted by Ringo

4. Justice Carney :I must have regard to and take guidance from the fact that in recent times the Court of Criminal Appeal has decimated many of the manslaughter sentences imposed by Mr Justice White, Mr Justice Abbott and myself.

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Yes I read that far. So, what is your solution, if you feel the sentence was too short? Chastise Carney for not giving a heftier sentence, while this would have been running the risk of letting it be "decimated" by natural process? Chastise the Court of Appeal for doing said decimation according with Irish law as set by Irish people? Make idle threats to WOD's safety?

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Originally Posted by Ringo

If it was my child. Think that sums it up.

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What if it was your child that was messing with his mate his mate dies in a freak accident your child panics and hides the body. Then gets locked up in prison where he gets treatend every single day , the newspapers call your kid a child killer a peado ?

It would not be logical to charge defendants with wasting Garda time. Would they only get charged when takes Gardai longer to find the body?

If you stole a car & Gardai found it the next day is that lesser charge than if it took them 2 weeks?

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Originally Posted by pete

It would not be logical to charge defendants with wasting Garda time. Would they only get charged when takes Gardai longer to find the body?

If you stole a car & Gardai found it the next day is that lesser charge than if it took them 2 weeks?

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I'm inclined to agree. A defendant charged with such could ask why every person who supplied information to the cops-where such infirmation turned out to be unconnected or irrelevant - wasn't charged as well.

On one hand I'm tempted as I'd personally like to see every Empath, Seer, Psychic, 7th son and assorted other miscellaneous chancers who saw an opportunity to make a rep for themselves on anothers misfortune hauled before the courts on charges of obstruction, wasting police time and even accessory after the fact. But to do so is probably to chuck the babba out with the bathwater.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

Yes I read that far. So, what is your solution, if you feel the sentence was too short? Chastise Carney for not giving a heftier sentence, while this would have been running the risk of letting it be "decimated" by natural process? Chastise the Court of Appeal for doing said decimation according with Irish law as set by Irish people? Make idle threats to WOD's safety?

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From what he is saying in his statement he's guessing the sentence could be reduced on appeal. So rather than give the sentence he wanted to, he deliberately gave a shorter sentence.

It's amazing how quickly some things can die down.
Statement probably calmed the hysteria rather than him being sped out of some side-exit of the prison.
Thankfully, the media overload seems to have passed a lot quicker than expected.

Makes a mockary of the suns claim that this was what the public wanted to hear and they would hunt the story down. The vast majority of peopel think he has done his time thats it which is good to see.

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Originally Posted by Ringo

From what he is saying in his statement he's guessing the sentence could be reduced on appeal. So rather than give the sentence he wanted to, he deliberately gave a shorter sentence.

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Yes I know that, but you haven't given a solution to such a predicament.