http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-22621623
Sentence handed out yesterday. Driver (Cox Lovell) gets 10yrs 6 months.
From CPS it appears that Death by Dangerous Driving has a maximum sentence of 15 yrs and under the Sentencing General Principles Cox Lovell will have had the benefit of either a 1/3 reduction in that for a first opportunity admission of guilt, or 1/4 reduction after been given a court date. The news report doesn’t say, and the admission of guilt in court reported in April doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t admit guilt earlier I guess.
Either way, it’s a pretty full sentence reflecting the level of the offence.
I see though that the family intend to campaign for higher sentence limits. Do we think that, say, having a maximum sentence of Life (as manslaughter – classed as a homicide – does) will make it more or less likely that judges will impose longer sentences than they can now?
As it is, the death by dangerous driving sentence limit was raised from 10 to 15 in 2004 – I didnt know that.
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/death_by_dangerous_driving/
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_-_general_principles/index.html#a17