DRIVER JAILED FOR KILLING WOMAN AFTER SMOKING JOINT

A juvenile driver who knocked down and killed a pedestrian while high
on cannabis received a six month jail sentence yesterday - with three
months suspended - and was disqualified from driving for 20 years at
Tallaght District Court.

Judge Joseph Brady, who was told the driver had been disqualified from
driving just a month before the fatal accident, expressed surprise
that more serious charges hadn't been brought.

The court heard that Myles (Miley) Stokes, now 18 and with an address
at Kylemore Grove in Ballyfermot, Dublin, had smoked two cannabis
resin joints one hour before a traffic accident on December 2, 1998
which claimed the life of Dolores Rea (52).

Ms Rea, from Alpine Rise, Belgard Heights in Tallaght, was crossing
the Belgard Road there when the car that Stokes was driving struck
her, throwing her 15 feet into the air before she came to rest on a
grass verge. She died later that day.

EMOTIONAL SCENES

There were emotional scenes in the courtroom when her husband, John
approached Stokes in the witness box and asked him: ``Are you sorry?''
Mr Stokes nodded his head and replied ``Yes.''

Garda David McKeigue, from Tallaght Garda Station, told Judge Joseph
Brady that Stokes - who had no licence and was driving without
insurance at the time of the accident - had fled the scene before
arriving at Tallaght station the following day where he made a
statement after being cautioned, admitting responsibility.

He added that Stokes had been disqualified from driving for two years
one month prior to the incident at another Dublin court and that he
had expressed remorse to gardai regarding the incident.

Judge Brady expressed shock as to why Stokes wasn't facing more
serious charges than those before the court, but added that it was a
matter for the DPP.

``On the 12th November he was disqualified, yet one month later he was
found driving with tragic consequences,'' he said.

``I must say that I am surprised there aren't other charges before the
court but that's a matter for the DPP. Surprised being a very mild
word under the circumstances,'' he added.

He fined Mr Stokes a total of pounds 600 on four charges relating to
the incident, including driving without a licence and having no
insurance, fleeing the scene of an accident and possession of a
controlled drug.

He also disqualified him from driving for 20 years before sentencing
him to six months imprisonment, with three suspended.

The balance of the sentence is to be suspended for three years on
condition that he keep the peace for a period of two years.

``The message has to go out that you can't go around driving like that
with tragic consequences. I'm trying to give the message that from now
on he must obey the law and if he doesn't, then that three months will
come into effect.''

FATHER IN PRISON

Stokes's solicitor, Kevin Tunney, told the court that Stokes ``didn't
have much of a life growing up'' and that his father was currently
serving a prison sentence.

Stokes also appeared on a number of larceny charges, in respect of
which he was fined a total of pounds 90, along with a three month
suspended prison sentence.