A west Belfast priest has urged the police and courts to use the "full force of the law" to deter car criminals as he celebrated Requiem Mass for a great-grandfather who was killed by a stolen car as he left a funeral.
Seamus Conlon (70) died after he was struck by the vehicle near the City Cemetery on the Whiterock Road on Saturday.
Two other men were also hit by the Vauxhall Vectra and seriously injured.
Mr Conlon was returning from a funeral when the tragedy happened.
Michael Patrick Loughran appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday charged with causing Mr Conlon’s death by dangerous driving.
The 32-year-old, of Glenties Drive in the city, also faced two counts of causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving, driving while unfit due to drink or drugs, aggravated vehicle taking causing injury or death and having no insurance.
Yesterday, mourners gathered at Corpus Christi Church in the Ballymurphy area for Requiem Mass for Mr Conlon.
The much-loved husband, father and grandfather's remains arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage.
Fr Paddy McCafferty told mourners that following the tragic events of Saturday, the west Belfast community had been "under the dark cloud of sorrow and shock".
He said Mr Conlon's life had been taken by "wreckless endangerment".
"On Saturday, just after the funeral of Mickey Walker, there unfolded another tragic scene when a stolen car crashed into Seamus and his friend and another pedestrian," he said.
"All the family, heartbroken by the events of last Saturday".
The parish priest said Mr Conlon with his "signature cowboy hat, the pony and trap, jaunting up and down the Whiterock, was one of the great characters of our locality, our community".
"The shock of how he died and his deep loss is keenly felt," he said.
"Above all, he was a dearly loved husband, granda, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, great uncle and a good friend to so many. He died on his mother's anniversary last Saturday.
"The loss of Seamus to his family, first of all, is immense".
The cleric revealed that Mr Conlon's wife, Kay had received "great comfort" when she was visited by the father of Lisa Gow, who was knocked down and killed in north Belfast last year by a driver who was charged with a number of offences including causing death by dangerous driving.
Fr McCafferty called on the authorities to make "every effort" to catch those involved in car crime and "use the full force of the law to deter such activities".
"For many many years now our community has been plagued by the thefts of cars and them being driven dangerously along our roads at high speed ........the consequences on numerous occasions have been lethal," he said.
"The word joy-riding is often associated with these activities that result in such grief and once again, we must ask where is the joy in such behaviour?
"We lift up everybody broken by these tragic events and we ask the lord for healing and strength".
