We’ ve got some justice, says victim’s father after crash driver admits causing two deaths and his parents confess to cover-up
THE father of a young man killed in a horror collision has said his family had “got some form of justice today — but we have not got Johnny” after a driver confessed to causing the carnage.
Co Antrim man Shane Kinney (22) was warned at Antrim Crown Court that he faces going to prison after he confessed to causing a three-car crash that claimed the lives of two men.
Leaning in close to the microphone, Kinney pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of Robin Wilson and Johnny Black on April 6, 2015 by driving dangerously on the Cushendall Road in Ballycastle.
Judge Desmond Marrinan added that his parents Sharon and Kevin also “stand at great peril of going to prison” after they admitted to perverting the course of justice.
Johnny Black’s father Seamus gave an emotional statement to the media after the hearing.
“They have wasted court time, public money and everything on lies about the case,” he said. “We have got some form of justice today, but we have not got Johnny.
“I sat at his funeral but he was my son, he was my friend and he was my business partner. We have got some form of justice, but it will not bring him back.”
Speaking on behalf of Robin Wilson’s family, Constable Jonathan McKeever said they were glad to “finally get closure”.
“On behalf of the Wilson/Davidson family, they’re happy with
The intention was to engage in some form of race, as some people do, especially young drivers the result in court today,” he said.
“Sadly they have lost their son Robin through this and they just want to express their sadness at what’s going on to the Black family and Arbuckle family as well.”
Kinney and his parents, all from the Drones Road in Armoy, were scheduled to go on trial yesterday — but after several delays, their lawyers asked for some of the charges to be put to them again.
Shane Kinney also entered guilty pleas to causing grievous bodily injury to Clodagh Arbuckle and Denise Dunlop, also by dangerous driving. Ms Arbuckle sustained what has previously been described as “permanent, significant brain damage” in the collision.
Standing alongside him in the dock, his mother Sharon Kinney (50) pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by removing her son’s VW Golf from the Carrickmore Road in the seaside town.
His father Kevin (52), admitted the same offence and a further similar count by “obtaining parts for a VW Golf from a breaker’s yard in Armoy.”
During a bail application for the killer driver, Judge Marrinan commented that rather than a case of deliberate violence, “the intention here was to engage in some form of
race as, sadly, some people do, especially young drivers”.
While granting continuing bail to all three, the judge disqualified Shane Kinney from driving or using a motorised vehicle on a public road. The three-vehicle collision happened on the Cushendall Road at about 3.40am on Easter Monday, 2015.
Mr Black, who was from the nearby Glenshesk area of Ballycastle, died at the scene, while Mr Wilson, who was from Armoy, died in hospital.
Previous courts have heard claims that the two cars at the scene were a VW Bora which Mr Wilson was in, and a Peugeot containing Mr Black heading in the opposite direction.
But investigations led police to a VW Golf owned by Kinney after witnesses identified its registration to officers.
Kinney handed himself into police two days later and surrendered his car for examination. While no damage was found on it, various parts were later forensically matched to a car held in an Armoy scrap yard.
A detective described how witnesses had given statements to the effect that his car had been damaged in the impact, but that he fled the scene and his car was collected that evening by his parents. Sentencing in the case will be on September 1.