EXCLUSIVE: The heartbroken mother of a teenage boy killed by a man with almost
500 convictions says she will never be able to find it in her heart to
forgive him.
Tragic Shane Patton had just completed his Leaving Certificate when he
was killed by a car being driven at 165kph by serial offender Eamon
Lynch at Drumkeen.
Father-of-three Lynch, who pleaded guilty to careless driving causing
Shane’s death, was jailed for 18 months for the killing at Letterkenny
Circuit Court in Co Donegal.
Lynch, who has more than 280 traffic offences as well as 50 offences
for burglary, said he knew the heartache which the grieving Patton
family, from Drumkeen, were going through.
But last night Mrs Julie Patton, a civil servant, told Donegal Daily that Lynch
fooled the court and she did not believe he was sorry at all.
“I do not accept his apology and neither does my husband Martin or our family.
“I know he said sorry but I do not believe him. Look at all the
convictions he has. He did not fool me but he fooled the court.
“He had plenty of time and he knew exactly what to say to make it look
like he was sorry. Look at all the previous convictions he had – he
knew exactly what to say but we will never accept it,” said Mrs
Patton.
Speaking from her home at Cloghroe, Drumkeen, Julie said her family
had been told that Lynch would plead guilty to the lesser charge of
careless driving causing Shane’s death which carried a maximum penalty
of two years in jail.
However she said herself and her husband thought the 18 month sentence
would only start this week when Lynch was sentenced and not backdated
to when the Derryman was arrested in November last.
“We honestly didn’t think it would be backdated and that’s
disappointing. He will only serve one Christmas behind bars but my
Shane will never see another Christmas,” she said.
In a letter read to the court by his barrister Richard Lyons, Lynch
claimed this was the worst thing which had ever happened to him.
He said “I cannot express in words how really, really sorry I am for
the loss of Shane. I will never in my lifetime get over this. I know
the heartache you are going through but I did not set out to hurt
anyone, let alone hurt Shane.
“I know I have destroyed your lives and I cannot express my words. I
hope and pray that you will accept my apology. If I could grant one
wish I would wish you had you son back. There isn’t a day that I don’t
think about it and I will never get over it myself.”
The court also heard how Lynch, who had been drinking with his partner
in a forest before the smash, had no driving license, no NCT on the
car, not tax or no insurance.
Shane died on July 12th, 2012 when Lynch’s Toyota Celica car ploughed
into his VW Bora at 165kph.
Garda evidence given in the court case this week heard how Lynch was
traveling so fast that he simply did not have enough time to take
evasive action to avoid Shane who was emerging from a side road.
Shane was rushed to Letterkenny General Hospital just after midnight
but was pronounced death a short time later.
Shane’s car was later found to be in good working order and he had
full tax and insurance on his vehicle.
In her victim impact statement, Mrs Patton told a hushed courtroom how
her son had only ever lived to be a mechanic.
He had just sat his Leaving Certificate and had been accepted onto a
mechanic’s course in Derry.
She remembered fondly how her eldest son had been presented with an
18th birthday cake in the shape of a toolbox the previous November.
Mrs Patton said there is not a day that goes by that herself, husband
Martin, and Shane’s younger sister and brother Dina and Jason, not not
laugh and cry when remembering the tragic teenager.
“Don’t get me wrong, Shane was a bit of a rogue. He wasn’t a grade A
student but he was a good lad and he made so many people smile.
“He had a talent for mechanics and he was happiest when he was
tinkering about and fixing cars. He really loved the toolbox birthday
cake which we got him for his 18th birthday,” she added.
Julie said her two children keep themselves busy by playing lots of
sport but they cannot bring themselves to discuss Shane and what
happened to him to their friends.
She said time heals a little as it goes on but nothing will ever fully
help herself or her family to get over the horrific loss of Shane in
the prime of his life.
She said it is the little things which remind her of him each day as
well as visiting his grave every weekend.
“It’s the simple things which bring it all back to you like setting
the table for four people instead of five.
“He’ll never be forgotten but we just wish he was here,” she said.
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