Speeding lorry driver who killed 71-year-old cyclist jailed for seven months

He attempted to commit suicide. I agree he needs help...to do the job properly.

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Needed:

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1. (as has been suggested on R.cc previously), a single, nation-wide police agency for dealing with reports of dangerous driving, and

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2. a single, nation-wide courts agency for dealing with dangerous driving cases.

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In both instances, to be staffed by experienced professionals. This way, we might avoid the bollicks of 'motoring judges', incompetent coppers, and laughable sentences.

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I live in hope.

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Oh good, he's 'deeply sorry'.

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So 3 1/2 months in nick for a life - that's alright then.

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"The visibility on the road on that day was absolutely fine,'' and the penalty is seven months in jail? Why not just state the obvious: "Your driving skills are so bad you should never have been licensed, but we really don't much care."

I haven't heard of this 'pretending to make a suicide attempt ' dodge before, but the shyster lawyers making the offender into the victim because worrying about killing the cyclist 'has affected his mental health' is an old one: 'he will be traumatised by this for the rest of his life, and this is punishment enough!'.
The problem for us is that the dodge keeps working

7 months is that all, when will the courts start handing out proper sentences?

Until they do this is not a severe enough deterrent. Motorists need to pay attention at all times and to admit that he didn't see the poor cyclist should have added even more to a sentence.

Ridiculous decision, barely a slap on the wrist

What is the process for a review of sentencing? Indeed, is the judge fit to assess driving cases?

There would appear to be genuine public interest in reassessing the sustained poor driving being slotted into the momentary lapse loophole, simply the idea that a lorry driver doesn't really have to take responsibility for observing other road users is an appalling assessment by the judge.

I just want to scream.

I just want to scream.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told the driver: . . . . . 

“I suggest this was a case of momentary inattention"

When the Judge is making the case for the defence what chance do we have of getting justice?

Alas as mentioned elsewhere the Judge delivered an almost complete bingo card of "common knowledge" misunderstandings and contraditory statements excusing the driver here. That - and lack of longer driving ban / restrictions on future driving employment - are the most concerning. Though not surprising.

So a persistent driver offender gets only 7 months jail for an offence causing death yet Grant Schapps thinks that a cyclist should get more for a first offence causing death. You couldn't make it up.

I had the pleasure of witnessing the behaviour of these professional drivers while they were racing to the ferry lastnight, including breaking a 50mph limit while overtaking a vehicle, tailgating and sticking main beam on to intimidate a car that was sticking to a 30mph speed limit. A licence is a privilege and not a right.

A doubly distracted lorry driver a so called professional get massive benefit of the doubt from the judge in spite of it being his second incident.   Beggars belief.