THE grieving family of a woman who was fatally struck by a stolen HGV has urged the government to bring in life sentences for those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.
The offence, which currently carries a maximum jail term of 14 years, is a ‘kick in the teeth’ to those who have lost a loved one according to Johnny Wood, the brother of Jacqueline Wileman, who was killed on Common Road, Brierley, last September.
Mum-of-two Mrs Wileman, of Oak Street, Grimethorpe, was walking on her daily route when the HGV, travelling at its top speed, failed to negotiate a left-hand bend and careered into three cars, Jacqueline and a house.
Its driver, unlicensed 23-year-old Karn Hill - who was also over the legal drink-drive limit - was given a ten-and-a-half year jail term last month.
Passengers Wayne Carroll, 29, and Alan Mawhinney, 53, each received a 12-and-a-half year sentence while another passenger, 48-year-old David Mellor, was given a 13-year term.
All four were guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, although Hill’s pre-trial guilty plea meant he automatically received a 25 per cent sentence reduction and the men will be eligible for parole upon completing half of their sentences.
Johnny told the Chronicle: “The judge told everyone in court that he was restricted in what he could give and that simply should not be the case - it needs looking at because we could have these men walking the streets in as little as five years’ time in Hill’s case.
“As a family we automatically get a life sentence of our own and the fact that there’s a maximum 14-year term in place is a kick in the teeth to us.
“It’s a joke and it should be scrapped altogether. There should not be a maximum in place and it should be a life term as it is with murder. That way the judge can assess each case and not have their hands tied.”
Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, who presided over the case, was told Hill had ten previous convictions, Mellor had 35 to his name, Mawhinney had 38 and Carroll had 14 - a total of 97 convictions between them - with the majority being vehicle-related.
Carroll had spent time behind bars in late 2015 and 2016 for a previous conviction for causing death by dangerous driving following a hit-and-run in Havercroft.
Judge Richardson told the men his hands were effectively tied by the 14-year limit, although he said in court that any alteration to the law was the government’s business.
Johnny added: “These men had almost 100 convictions to their name before they killed my sister and they should already have been locked up.
“Carroll has been convicted for the same offence before and he showed no remorse for his actions. He served 13 months before and he’ll probably do six years for Jacqueline’s death, so he’s played a role in two innocent people’s deaths but yet he’ll serve a combined seven-and-a-bit years.
“That’s not right and that’s why we are determined to do everything we can to make our voices heard in order to increase the sentences of these thugs. It won’t bring Jacqueline back but we want something to happen in her memory.”
The Ministry of Justice has previously pledged to scrap the existing cap and introduce life sentences in line with current manslaughter tariffs, but officials said the proposals have not yet been moved forward.
A spokesperson said: “Killer drivers can ruin lives - we intend to give courts the power to hand down life sentences for death by dangerous driving.
“We will bring forward proposals for changes in the law when parliamentary time allows.”
