Court archive
Court reports mentioning Bessbrook, Armagh
2022-04-01 · Louth
Keith Lennon, aged 23, was convicted of manslaughter after his 3‑litre Audi, driven at 225 km/h, collided with a Peugeot 108 on the N1, killing Mary (82) and Kevin (58) Faxton and Bryan Magill (24). Lennon had been filming Snapchat videos while driving at 105 km/h above the limit. He pleaded guilty in February 2021 and was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, a 20‑year driving ban, and a 14‑year custodial term, with the judge describing his car as a "weapon". Lennon appealed the severity of the sentence, arguing the judge had over‑penalised him. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating the custodial sentence was inevitable and that the Snapchat videos and high speeds made the case particularly reckless. The court upheld the original nine‑year term and the 20‑year driving ban. The decision was delivered on 1 April 2022.
2022-03-25 · Louth
Keith Lennon is appealing the severity of his nine-year prison sentence for three counts of manslaughter at the Court of Appeal. Lennon, of Forest Park, Dromintee, Co Armagh, pleaded guilty at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court after his vehicle collided with another car on the N1 in Dundalk, Co Louth, on February 29, 2020, killing Mary and Kevin Faxton and Bryan Magill. Judge Marina Baxter sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment in February 2021, stating he had turned his car into a "weapon," and imposed a 20-year driving ban. Lennon's counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, argued the sentence was too severe, noting a lack of comparable cases and that the offense was not one of intention. He also conveyed Lennon's public apology. Conversely, Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions, maintained the sentence was fair and within the judge's discretion. She highlighted that Lennon was driving at excessive speeds, was uninsured, and had made two Snapchat videos of the speedometer while driving, which she described as a pivotal factor in his culpability. The court has reserved judgment on the appeal.