After a tragic car crash that took the lives of five young men, a mother is now opening up about how she begged a judge to jail her son just weeks before his death.
On August 16, tragedy struck as Kamil Pustkowski, 17, Jack Kennedy, 17, Jeremy O’Brien, 18, Joe Carthy, 15, and Alex McCarthy, 16, all died in a terrible car crash. The vehicle was traveling the wrong way on the M9 motorway in County Kildare, Ireland, when it crashed head-on with another car.
In the other car were sisters Niamh and Alma Kinsella, Ella Hendricken, and Alma’s 7-year-old son, Yemi, who sustained serious injuries and remains in the hospital recovering.
Kamil’s mother, Emilia Pustkowska, has opened up about how her 17-year-old son was ‘lost.’ She also spoke out in his defense, denying claims that he was the ‘leader’ of the friend group.
Speaking to the Irish Mail, Pustkowska said: “I know he wasn’t [the leader]. He wasn’t able to lead himself. So how was he the leader? We know that. He was lost… not the leader,” according to LADbible.
Says the situation ‘snowballed’
According to Pustkowska, her son’s behavior had only started becoming a problem in the last few months, and January 2025 was when she was first contacted about his possible car offenses. However, she admits that it all ‘snowballed’ from there. She attended court with him several times.
“Every single court case I was there,” she said.
“I was three times in Limerick. I was five times in Dublin. Not because there was something new happening… it was always postponed,” she said.
But even though he pleaded guilty to some of the offenses, he wasn’t taken into custody, and two of them were reportedly adjourned last month.
“He pleaded guilty, that’s the thing. He didn’t pretend… he said yes,” she said.
According to the Irish Mail, the mother pleaded with the judge to take him to prison.
“I said to that judge, ‘I can’t keep him at home,’” she explained.
“That’s the thing. For two years I’m living as a prisoner because I have locked everything.
“Nobody listened to me. Do you believe I wanted my child in the prison? But if you see what’s going on, you have to find different solutions.
“At least, if he was in the prison, maybe he will have time to mature. Probably then someone else would have been sitting in the car.
“That’s not any better. But at least that wouldn’t be Kamil.”
Pustkowska also spoke about the backlash she has faced, saying how she felt she couldn’t even apologize to the family affected “because the people will eat you.”
“I wish my son had never got into that car”
According to reports, the family in the other car were heading to the airport on their way to the UK, where they were going to attend a wedding, when the crash happened.
The mother of Jeremy O’Brien, Margaret Berry, also expressed her regret over what happened, saying in a statement: “I wish my son had never got into that car,” according to The Sun.
“My heart goes out to this poor family and if I could see them I would apologise. I have said prayers for them and I hope to God that they can heal.”
Berry added: “This tragedy should never have happened. I am not proud of what happened and I don’t condone what they did. I wish my son had never got into that car.
“I also hope one day that the family who remain in hospital can find some kind of forgiveness some day. I will continue to pray for them.
“My son and those other boys didn’t set out that night to ?intentionally hurt people and my heart will always break for everyone who’s involved in this nightmare.”
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