THE family of a 19-year-old from Co Armagh killed in a hit-and-run have said the jail sentence handed down "should be lesson to other drivers".
Relatives of Lesley-Ann McCarragher said Nathan Finn (19) "chose to get behind the wheel of a car... chose to drive it dangerously, without a licence or insurance... chose to become involved in a race... and chose to flee the scene, without even a flicker of care or compassion".
The Loughry College student was jogging along the Monaghan Road, between between Armagh and Milford, on April 9 2016 when she was struck by Finn's Saab, which sped from the scene.
Finn, of Keady Road, Armagh, initially denied all charges but later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and while driving without a licence or insurance, as well as failing to stop at the scene of a collision or report it to police.
He was sentenced today to nine years - half to be served in jail and half on supervised licence.
Co-defendant Damien Paul McCann (31), of Lagan Road, Keady, was the driver of a Volkswagen Golf and the pair were claimed to have been racing each other.
He was originally charged with causing Lesley-Ann’s death by dangerous driving, but on learning he was to be prosecuted he absconded, significantly delaying the proceedings.
When he finally did appear he denied the charge. Following protracted legal discussions prosecutors accepted a plea to dangerous driving, a decision the victim's family described as "devastating".
Both men appeared at Newry Crown Court yesterday separated by custody staff. Finn kept his head in his hands throughout proceedings, mumbling responses to questions.
The court heard that Lesley-Ann set out from home at about noon for a regular jog and was running along the hard shoulder when Finn and McCann’s cars approached at speed. A witness described them as “racing, absolutely flying”.
Finn drove aggressively into the hard shoulder as he attempted to perform an undertaking manoeuvre, striking Lesley-Ann.
The former head girl of City of Armagh High School suffered catastrophic brain injuries.
Witnesses saw Finn skid onto a grass verge, then increase his speed and drive off.
Finn, who was 17 at at the time, initially claimed he had purchased the Saab the previous day but sold it before the collision. It transpired he had in fact hidden it in a garage.
It later emerged that he also attempted to tell the previous owner to tell police it had been "sold to foreigners".
A defence lawyer for Finn commended the dignity Lesley-Ann’s family and said he is also traumatised by what happened, crying at night and claiming “to have seen the deceased in his bedroom”.
McCann's defence counsel expressed his condolences to the grieving family.
He claimed that as his client had pulled out to overtake Finn he accelerated, blocking McCann from pulling back in, and he was required to speed up to get back in lane.
Judge Kerr noted that nothing before him showed a direct connection with the death, but it was clear there was high speed.
He imposed a fine of £500 and disqualified McCann driving for two years.
Jailing Finn and disqualifying him from driving for six years, Judge Kerr said: "He had no licence or insurance and shouldn’t have been on the road at all.
"He struck the victim and drove from the scene. He gave a dishonest account and attempted to set up an alternative version of events. This case is at the highest sentencing category.”
In a statement, the McCarragher family said "a light has gone out in all of our lives" since Lesley-Ann's death.
"Lesley-Ann was a kind, caring, honest, hard-working, witty, sporty and outgoing girl. Having been brought up in a Christian home she was a daughter that any person would have been proud of, and we all adored her."
They said Finn "chose to get behind the wheel of a car he had only taken possession of the previous day".
"He chose to drive it dangerously, without a licence or insurance on a public road at high speed. He and Damien McCann chose to drive through the roads of Armagh at speed.
"Finn chose to mount the hard shoulder to undertake a car. He struck Lesley Ann, throwing her into the middle of the road and chose to leave her to die.
"He chose to flee the scene, without even a flicker of care or compassion... Throughout it all, Lesley-Ann never had any choice at any time."
They added: "If anything comes from this tragedy, we appeal to drivers to ensure no-one has their life cut short like our beautiful Lesley-Ann, and no-one suffers as we have as a family."
