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The incident happened in February 2020.

Joyrider who killed three people while making Snapchat videos fails to have jail time cut

Keith Lennon, of Dromintee, Co Armagh, previously admitted to three counts of manslaughter.

A DRIVER WHO claimed the lives of three people when he ploughed into the back of another car as he made Snapchat videos while driving at 225kmh has failed in his bid to have his nine-year jail sentence reduced.  

Keith Lennon (23) killed mother and son Mary (82) and Kevin (58) Faxton, from Bessbrook, Co Armagh, and Bryan Magill (24) from Newry, Co Down, when the 3-litre Audi he was driving at 105kmh above the speed limit hit the Faxton’s Peugeot 108 on the northbound carriageway of the N1.  

Magill had been a passenger in Lennon’s vehicle when the two-car collision occurred at Carrickarnon, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co Louth, on February 29, 2020.  

Lennon later pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court.  

Sentencing him in February 2021, Judge Marina Baxter said Lennon had turned his car into a “weapon” on the night in question. She also banned him from driving for 20 years.  

Lennon, of Forest Park, Dromintee, Co Armagh, later appealed the severity of his jail sentence.  

But in an ex tempore judgement delivered today (Friday) in the Court of Appeal by Court President Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Justice Patrick McCarthy and Justice Isobel Kennedy, Lennon’s bid to have the time he must serve behind bars reduced was rejected.  

Dismissing the appeal, Justice Birmingham said: “Clearly this was a case where a substantial custodial sentence was inevitable.”  

He said Judge Baxter could have even placed the offending in the upper range for sentencing , “given the damage done and degree of recklessness involved”.   

Noting that prior to the fatal collision “a powerful car was driven for long periods at very high speed”, he added that what had “set the case apart” was the Snapchat videos the accused had been making on his phone while driving at excessive speeds.  

“It is difficult to find the language to describe how reckless that was,” Justice Birmingham said.  

Earlier hearing

At a previous hearing (March 25), Patrick Gageby SC, for Lennon, told the court that there were “not very many cases in the law books concerning motor manslaughter”.  

“There wasn’t any real comparator we could lay before the court and in those circumstances we submit there has been an error [in sentencing],” Gageby added.  

“This was not a crime of intention,” he continued, adding that the headline sentence of 14 years identified by Judge Baxter had been “too high, even when you consider the egregious circumstances of the case, which resulted in the deaths of three human beings”.  

With relatives of the crash victims sitting in the public benches, Gageby said his client wanted to once again apologise for his actions.  

“At sentencing, he directed that an apology be made publicly, and he expresses the same sentiment today,” counsel said. 

Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the sentence handed down was fair and within the judge’s discretion.  

Lawlor explained to the court that not only had the appellant used his phone to video the speedometer of the Audi while he was driving, he had also sent the recordings to others while still behind the wheel and driving at excessive speeds.  

Lawlor said Lennon had made two Snapchat videos in the car before it crashed into the other vehicle, and that both clips lasted a total of 14 seconds.  

This was the “pivotal factor in the case”, counsel said.   

“The car [Lennon was driving] was high-powered and he was not insured to drive it,” counsel continued.   

In passing sentence, Judge Baxter “had carried out a correct and proper assessment of the gravity of the crime and the appellant’s culpability”, Lawlor concluded.  

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    Mute Laura Maguire
    Favourite Laura Maguire
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:12 PM

    What a tool. Sentence should be increased for the audacity to appeal avd wasting the courts time.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:27 PM

    @Laura Maguire: Absolutely agree, except tool isn’t a strong enough term for him. But yes I understand TheJournal won’t allow stronger terms be used.

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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Apr 1st 2022, 2:05 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: and you will be blocked. Next the journal is going to say that he is a good father and son and a law abiding citizen with 300 convections.

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    Mute Mick Murphy
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:14 PM

    Has a cheek even appealing the “severity” of the sentence. Could have been double that and still not excessive imo

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    Mute Derek Moean
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:31 PM

    Should have been given 3 life sentences. For murder

    444
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    Mute john smith iv
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:52 PM

    So who advised him that he had a chance on appeal here?

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    Mute David F. Dwyer
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    Apr 1st 2022, 8:06 PM

    @john smith iv: A lawyer who saw a nice fat brief for something that was doomed anyway.

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    Mute Richard Ahern
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:36 PM

    That’s our “justice” system for you!; costly, inefficient, out of touch with reality, mystifying, encouraging thugs/thieves to continue with their life of crime until they hit crime number 140 or 180. Ineffective & pointless in the extreme.

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    Mute Antaine O'Labhradha
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:30 PM

    @Richard Ahern: It is impossible to have a fully efficient justice system in any jurisdiction due to the nature of the human animal. Punitive action by the state against criminals doesn’t ‘reform’ criminals. It makes them hate the state and society more. It’s always been that way and likely always will. It is impossible to have a crime free society. Always was and always will be. The justice system can only punish transgressors. It is not capable of bringing about the personal change necessary to reform these transgressors. I would say that in the majority of cases, such reform isn’t possible and will not occur. I think a lot of law pays too much attention to the rights of defendants and too scant attention to the rights of victims and an more equitable balance needs to be struck thereabout. Criminality is an integral part of any and all societies that pivot around the acquisition of wealth and are primed by the unequal distribution of wealth. There will never be any country with a perfect justice system, as there will never be a crime-free society in any country of the world. A lot of crime is committed by corporations and businesses, so crime is interwoven into the fabric of our societies. If we wish to reduce crimes, we need to legislate for all of them. For example, why are cars made that can travel in excess of 150 kph? How is that safe, or necessary, on public roads?

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    Mute Richard Ahern
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:02 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: Antaine, thanks for your detailed, well thought-out, comments. However, as you mentioned, the thugs have far too much lenience & money thrown at them and the damaged victim is entitled to f. all. As I said earlier, the system is inefficient, useless, expensive and to hell with the victims.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:21 PM

    @Richard Ahern: If it is as you say surely his appeal would have been granted?

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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    Apr 1st 2022, 7:04 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: high enough consequences will deter most folk, if consequences are low as it is now it’s deterring no one

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    Mute Gordon Larney
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:39 PM

    The level of trust we put in others when we get into a car and drive on the roads is massive. The Rules of the road is what this trust is based on. When someone completely ignores them and drives at totally ridiculous speeds in a reckless manner whilst recording them (to show how “mad” he is in his super cool car to his friends) then disaster can and did happen. Three people are dead because of his attempt to show off. A lifetime ban from driving and a minimum sentence of 20yrs should have been his punishment. The idi0t got off lightly and he still isn’t happy with that….

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    Mute Antaine O'Labhradha
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    Apr 1st 2022, 2:46 PM

    I think anyone who kills someone while driving while doing something they shouldn’t be [drinking, being over the limit, being on drugs, no insurance or no licence or tax, excessive speed, texting or using a mobile phone, whatever it is] should automatically get 25 years minimum, no remission or parole. The relatives of the deceased get a life sentence. So should the person[s] who caused the death of an innocent road user/pedestrian. Driving under the influence or in an illegal or dangerous manner should be regarded as intent, since ALL drivers know the rules of the road, whether they keep to them or not.

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    Mute Shane Terry
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:06 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: 25 years minimum for No Tax ? Do you work for Revenue.? or the Green Party? Or are you just a keen cyclist ?

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    Mute OnlyHereForTheComments
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:09 PM

    @Shane Terry: I admire the absolute olympic-standard leap that you’re making to shoehorn a negative comment about cyclists into a story about a car driver that killed three people.

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    Mute Tom Halpin
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    Apr 1st 2022, 4:01 PM

    @OnlyHereForTheComments:
    25 years for o taxand you have the gall to criticise someoneelsefortheirreply

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:24 PM

    @Tom Halpin: It actually says “25 years if you kill somebody while driving with no tax”, not 25 years for not having tax.

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    Mute E.J. Murray
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    Apr 1st 2022, 1:58 PM

    He has some neck on him if he thinks the sentence is too harsh, the accident must have given his brain a severe rattling.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Apr 1st 2022, 4:20 PM

    The audacity of him to ask for a reduced sentence. The sentence wasn’t long enough.

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    Mute Keth Warsaw
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:33 PM

    Tell me the 20 years driving ban starts when he comes out? Please tell me.

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    Mute Marty Quish
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    Apr 1st 2022, 3:32 PM

    What an absolute C yoU Next Thursday.

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    Mute Rostyballs78
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    Apr 1st 2022, 5:40 PM

    Neck on him like a jockeys bollix and a huge show of disrespect to the families of the victims.

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    Mute Alan Rothwell
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    Apr 1st 2022, 6:15 PM

    Why wouldn’t he appeal?! There needs to be a punishment for a BS appeal. Everyone will appeal because they know that the sentence won’t be increased, which it should if your appeal fails.

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    Mute J Flood
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    Apr 1st 2022, 9:07 PM

    9 years, a joke. Insult to the families.

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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    Apr 1st 2022, 7:02 PM

    Will this chap have a life time driving ban when he eventually gets out. He shouldn’t touch the steering wheel of a car again even if he claims it’ll impact him working. He should be struggling to make ends meet everyday after his release, living on the breadline might teach him so humility he’s clearly lacking.

    14
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