Spot the difference

[Lutin]

Tredegar lecturer jailed for tuning radio in crash killing nan

A college lecturer who was "fiddling with his radio" has been jailed for killing a woman in a head-on crash.

Iestyn Jones, 54, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving in December.

Shirley Culleton, 65, died after Jones veered on to her side of the road on the A4046 Cwm Road, near Ebbw Vale, on 6 July 2019.

Jones was sentenced to five years and six months in prison at Newport Crown Court.

Keely Birks: Driver jailed after teenage girl killed in crash

A hit-and-run driver who crashed into a teenage girl at 75mph (120 km/h) has been jailed for six years.

Peter Petrie was already banned from the road and driving on a temporary wheel when he hit 17-year-old Keely Birks in Allenton, Derby.

The force of the impact threw her 111 metres (364ft), the city's crown court was told.

Petrie admitted causing death by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

He was also banned from driving for 15 years.

George Ellis death: Uninsured driver Costel Matei sentenced

An uninsured driver who killed a motorcyclist during an attempt to escape queueing traffic has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Costel Matei, 26, was on a gridlocked road near Tickton, East Yorkshire, when he made a sudden turn into the path of RAF airman George Ellis, 27.

It later emerged that Matei also had 17 penalty points on his licence.

At Hull Crown Court, he was given a four-month jail term, suspended for 18 months.

Matei, of Lambton Street, Hull, who previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, was also banned from driving for two years and received a six-month curfew and community service.

Here we have three incidents causing death with the results of sentencing being a 5 year and six month sentence, a six year jail sentence and a four month jail term suspended for 18 months.

So much for consistency in sentencing.

[JackyJoll]

I don’t give a shit about your “bikers as victims” mentality.

[Yambo]

So much for consistency in sentencing.

Did you review all of the evidence in all 3 cases and then take into account sentencing guidelines?

[Lutin]

Clearly I was too cryptic and could have provided more details from each of the stories. My fault.

So, to provide further details -

1)

The court heard Jones had an impeccable driving record and was "remorseful" and "fully accepts and wants to have punishment".

Who hasn't fiddled with their radio whilst driving? It is not a conscious decision to drive in a dangerous manner.

2)

Derby Crown Court heard Petrie, who had 23 previous convictions from 41 offences and had two concurrent driving bans in force, was seen to drive through a red light shortly before the collision.

CCTV showed he was driving at 75mph (120 km/h) in a 40mph (64 km/h) area, and on a temporary wheel with a 50mph (80 km/h) limit, moments before he hit Ms Birks and narrowly missed the friend she was with.

Petrie then drove away and dumped the car but was found by police hiding at a friend's house two days later.

Judge Shaun Smith QC said: "I want to make it clear there is no price for human life, there never can be and I am most certainly not putting a price on Keely's.

Here the driver was uninsured, speeding, had 23 previous convictions and two concurrent driving bans. A tarnished record if ever there was one and appeared to show no remorse.

3)

...Matei also had 17 penalty points on his licence.

Following Matei's sentencing on Thursday, relatives said: "We were devastated Mr Matei had just sat in his car at the scene, leaving George to die on the roadside.

"He didn't even ring for an ambulance or the police on his mobile, and has shown no remorse or compassion in any way since.

Again we have very ill advised and impatient behaviour of a driver with, again, a far from unblemished record.


So, only one of those involved in these tragic incidents has apparently shown any remorse (and a clean driving record), yet receives the second longest sentence. Consistency of sentencing?

[Mr. Dazzle]

I love the fact they banned the guy for 15 years. He was already banned twice over at the time of the accident.