Description
In the Name of the Son is the true story of how an Irish immigrant living in England took on the British Legal and Justice system to get the law changed before he could fight a terrible injustice. It is the story of how a grieving father dealt with the loss of his eldest son following a road crash during Halloween weekend 1998. This book should prove to be a real source of inspiration for anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation following the tragic loss of a loved one.
Declan’s son, Kevin, was just nineteen when he died, after he unwittingly accepted a lift in a car driven by a drunk-driver in Dunstable, Bedfordshire on Saturday evening, October 31st 1998.
Declan’s grief, however, soon turned to anger when, after being told by the local police force that there was no suspicion of drink-driving, he discovered that both the driver and the other surviving passenger had been on a day-long pub-crawl. A real irony being that this shattering revelation was uncovered at Kevin’s funeral reception by some of his friends.
Not content in just securing the successful conviction of the driver, Declan was also determined to remove some of the obstacles that denied vital evidence to the police in securing a much more appropriate sentence. One of which was the requirement of providing a blood sample from an unconscious driver at the scene of a crash or at the hospital.
Declan’s determination led to a change in the law of consent for the provision of a blood sample by a suspect drink-driver became a reality on 11th July 2002 with the passing of Duggan’s Law.
Apart from the legacy of Duggan’s Law, Declan has also undertaken to preserve the memory of his late son through Kevin’s love of golf. A unique Golf Academy, including a specially designed nine-hole golf course and driving range (bearing Kevin’s name) has been established in Stockwood Park, Luton. The Academy is a sports facility especially provided for underprivileged young players who might otherwise be lost to the game. The venture has been funded entirely through Declan’s initiatives, including a number of charity golf days.
In the Name of the Son is a compelling read and personal account from a man of exceptional character and admirable survival qualities.
The book also contains forewords from Rt. Hon. David Blunkett MP; Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of the Professional Golfers’ Association; Lord Bill McKenzie, Former Leader of Luton Borough Council; Kevin Whately, actor; and Kevin Brown, Former PGA, Ryder Cup and Scottish International, current BBC Correspondent and golf commentator.
This book is also available to download as a Kindle
