A 23 year-old man from West Belfast has appeared at a special court in hospital. He was charged in connection with a crash in North Antrim on Friday, in which three people were killed, when a stolen car collided with another vehicle. He was remanded in custody.
Desmond Savage from Altan Avenue in Woodburn was charged with three counts of manslaughter at a hearing at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. He was accused of being responsible for the deaths of a couple from the Shankill area of Belfast, Justin and Charmaine Watson, together with a passenger in a stolen car, Brian Donnelly.
Mr. Savage was also charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, driving while unfit through drink or drugs, failing to provide a blood specimen, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Mr Savage replied to each of the nine charges, "Nothing to do with me", or "same again". He was remanded in custody to appear before Coleraine magistrates next Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Watson's three-year-old son Tyler remains seriously ill in hospital in Belfast.
In a separate development, the funeral took place in West Belfast of Brian Donnelly. Fr. Brendan McMullan told mourners at St. Oliver Plunkett's church in Lenadoon some of the young man's friends had been and would again be tempted to engage in car theft. He said that some day they would have to have to accept personal responsibility for the pain and hurt their actions had caused.
