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news
Justice (Lonpicman, Wikimedia Commons)Drunk driver who killed cyclist had been caught drunk at the wheel three times before
A Middlesbrough motorist has been jailed for eight years and banned from driving for ten years following her release after she admitted causing a cyclist’s death by careless driving while over the legal alcohol limit. The court heard it was the fourth time Shelleen Wardle had been prosecuted for drink driving in the last 13 years.
The Northern Echo reports that 17-year-old charity worker Jordan Seddon died in hospital after he was hit by Wardle’s Fiat Punto on Cargo Fleet Lane in Middlesbrough on September 3.
Weeks before the collision, Seddon had agreed to donate his organs, a decision that is said to have saved six lives.
Prosecutor Harry Hadfield told Teesside Crown Court that Wardle had veered into a cycle lane at the side of the A171 before the collision.
Witnesses said that immediately after the crash, she said: "He was swerving all over the road. I’m fucking off."
A police officer who had been called by passers-by pulled Wardle over. Upon her arrest, she was found to have 91 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of her breath – well above the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
Lead investigator, Inspector Harry Simpson, from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said: “This was Shelleen Wardle’s fourth conviction for a drink-driving related offence. She has shown arrogance and ignorance in continuing to offend in this way, which has tragically resulted in the death of a young boy who had his whole life ahead of him.
“This case is another example of the stark and sad reality of what can happen if a driver gets behind the wheel whilst intoxicated. Our thoughts remain with Jordan’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Sentencing Wardle, Judge Sean Morris said: "You are a danger to to the public behind a car wheel. You will be off the roads for a very long time, indeed."
Yesterday Cycling UK called for longer and lifetime driving disqualifications after a London property developer was jailed for two years and three months and banned from driving for three years for deliberately running over a cyclist in a road rage incident.
Immediately after the incident, Clifford Harper got out of his vehicle and told the victim: “I will run you over again if I have to.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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32 comments
So, why don't we all start a focused petition calling for her lifetime ban if she qualifies for that? Is the Road.cc community willing to stand up together to actually do something or are we all content to carry on reading this shit for years to come? If we're not part of the solution we're part of the problem...
Online petitions aren't worth a pinch of shit. Government ministers aren't interested in listening to us anyway.
There are organisations like BC and CUK working to address such issues already. I suggest you join one and get stuck in.
I have not seen any of this on the national news. I guess the sad truth is that it is not unusual enough to get national coverage. My thoughts go out to Jordan's family.
If the courts had acted accordingly at her and or 3rd time of beung caught over the legal limit, tgen this poor youngster would still be alive today.
Complete and utter failure by the justice system or so called justice system. Those that prosecuted her before and who stood as judge should all be hauled over the coals for this travesty.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Does anyone really believe a person like this won't drive again with or without a license. The issue raised above about insurance is important too. Would anyone insure her? If so is she independently wealthy? Unlikely driving a Clio but surely the only insurance she could get would be £10s of thousands? Or she lied through her teeth so won't have been covered anyway.
Off the road for a long time? Should be in jail for a long time rather.And the driving ban, however long, should start after the prison sentence, not during it when not able to drive anyway.
Driving bans for prisoners begin upon their release.
She is automatically classed as high risk offender due to her offending history. The judge decided that her ban be 10 years. When that is over she will have to apply for a new licence but has to prove she is then safe to drive or no licence will be issued. It could well be a lifetime ban yet, although unlikely. My thoughts are it should have been 20 years ban then she reapplies but hey ho.
I am just pleased all th offences under the road traffic act are under review
There are some areas where the justice system is just totally unfathomable and grossly ill-serves society. This is an emblematic example.
Totally agree Yorkie, if she was being treated for depression then the mix of drink and drugs would make her an even worse candidate for driving. Do the parents of the victim now get to drive tipper trucks into people due to their bereavement?
Presumably when she told a witness that the cyclist was swerving all over the road, she actually meant that her head was spinning? Sorry, but her mitigating circumstances are rubbish: she appears to be a perfect candidate for a lifetime driving ban...
This crap just puts me off road cycling these days... Might just confine the bike to the turbo trainer and give up.
RIP Jordan Seddon
Fuck me senseless. More 'mitigation' that you can shake a stick at. The legal profession is at least 50% staffed by amoral scum. Who gives a fuck about her problems. "I was hit by a drunk driver so I became one" is hardly an excuse.
The Gazette can reveal Wardle herself suffered serious injuries in an accident caused by a suspected drink-driver, which is claimed led her into a spiral which ended with the death of the much-loved 17-year-old.
Teesside Crown Court heard claims that Wardle’s own anxiety and depression - and a road accident she was in - may have been partially responsible.
Mr Turton painted a picture of a woman who was still recovering from her own accident as a pedestrian.
Wardle, said Mr Turton, suffered from anxiety and depression for a number of years.
4 time drink driver and not a lifetime ban?
The people who allowed this woman to continue driving legally are equally responsible for Jordans death. Sleep well you fuckers.
This. No different to someone signing off on a firearms certificate for a previous offender.
Of course, in the case of firearms any offence results in a life ban.
Curious how we also value the lives of animals more - you can receive a life ban in cases of animal cruelty
Oh and in the case of football, life bans for homophobic or racist abuse, or even running on the pitch.
The whole justice system is monumentally skewed in favour of drivers who kill.
Link to Nothern Echo is broken.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15630487.Jailed___Arrogant__drink_...
Thanks bstock. Corrected that within the article.
Just trying to understand why someone can be on the road after three convictions. To offend once is bad enough given the potential consequences, but three times - you'd think someone would have figured out by then that she shouldn't be allowed to drive.
And also how she could get insurance to cover her to drive?
Surely after the 2nd offence, let alone the 3rd any sane company would refuse to insure her?
Or did I miss she wasn't insured as well?
I'm no criminologist, but you would have thought that anyone convicted twice for drink driving, would be likely to drive under the influence again. The police should be routinely targetting such people and they should have a 'red flag' on the motor insurance data base.
Maybe she only spilt a bit...
How can careless driving even come in to it when you're over the legal limit? Surely that instantly makes it dangerous?
Should have been manslaughter, willfully driving whilst intoxicated, driving that was so reckless to kill a person , blaming the victim and trying to pervert the course of justice. Should have got a lot more.. one has to consider it better but others are getting off with ridiculously low sentences if at all.
Careless rather than dangerous?
A much more appropriate sentence than we usually see. Would like to know how Jordan’s family view the sentence.
The fact that this woman will be able to legally drive again at all is completely baffling to me.
At least she'll be tucked away somewhere safe for a few years before she can cause any more pain and suffering.
Why no lifetime ban? This can be imposed for 'high risk offender' cases, which plainly she is.
https://www.gov.uk/drink-driving-penalties
Definition here - https://www.gov.uk/driving-disqualifications/disqualification-for-drink-...
and certainly makes the second criteria on the quoted reading:
"You’re a high risk offender if you:
...were driving with an alcohol reading of at least 87.5 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath, 200 milligrammes (mg) of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, or 267.5 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of urine"
There's no indication that all four criteria need to be achieved - this site https://www.drinkdrive.org.uk/uploads/files/HRO-New-8-15.pdf indicates the four as alternatives.
(IANACL)
My reading of the GOV website is that any one of the criteria can apply.
In any case, she passes on two criteria.
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