Traffic cops

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

I was very suprised he got 4 years.

I was too. There was a case of a car driver that caused an accident after he swerved the car whilst reaching for a sweet. The accident resulted in a death and the driver faced a jail sentence but was spared because the family didn't want another life ruined due to the accident.

I think the lorry driver case was a lot different to that of the football player that was given 7 years for killing those two children as he sped to intercept his girlfried that he had heard was being unfaithful.

[Shellywoozle]

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

but its the police not relatives that prosecute.

This is a common misconception, it's the police that simply gather the evidence and present it to the CPS. It's the CPS who decide on the charging decision and they select the appropriate charge according to the facts they have been given.

Then its down to the court to impose the fine/sentence.

Originally Posted by Biker Biker

......he sped to intercept his girlfriend that he had heard was being unfaithful.

That's lies told by a very good barrister. I know his girlfriend very well and she is not the cheating type so he killed two kids because he was pi$$ed up and driving like a knob to get back for training or some other trivial matter.

7 years is a long time but not when you consider he killed 2 kids with his irresponsible and ridiculous behaviour.

[Biker Biggles]

Glad to see the org is not overun by the usual baying mob mentality all too common in these cases.Im referring to the lorry driver who got four years for causing the accident that killed three people.I thought four years was way excessive too,especially given his unblemished record,and the fact that they found no faults with his wagon or his hours.What he did was make a mistake which is something we all do because we are human.
Contrast that to the small truck which ran into the back of a car but was overloaded.So no one got hurt,but the "crime" was exactly the same,made worse by negligent overloading.Surely the punishment should fit the crime,not fit some lottery of consequences.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Surely the punishment should fit the crime,not fit some lottery of consequences.

Then we'd all get banged up for speeding instead of only banged up after cause death by speeding

Originally Posted by Stu

Then we'd all get banged up for speeding instead of only banged up after cause death by speeding

No-one in this country has ever been jailed for speeding, they were all convicted of Dangerous Driving on top of the speeding charge because they were stupid enough to plead guilty to it.

Simple solution, if you are ever charged with DD after a speeding offence, never ever plead guilty as that's the one that could put you inside. By all means accept the speeding charge, but Dangerous Driving is a no-no

[Biker Biggles]

Lorry driver wasnt speeding.He just failed to notice the traffic jam and ran into the back of the other vehicle.This happens very often on the motorway and is by far the most common accident.Whether you get a fifty quid fine for "due care" or four years inside is entirely dependant on luck or the lack of it.To me that seems to be a lunatic way to run a justice system.
Similarly,if I tried to kill someone by pointing a loaded gun at their head and pulling the trigger I should be equally guilty of a crime whether I blew their head off or if the gun failed and didnt go off.The intent would be the same and for me thats the crime.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Lorry driver wasnt speeding.He just failed to notice the traffic jam and ran into the back of the other vehicle.This happens very often on the motorway and is by far the most common accident.Whether you get a fifty quid fine for "due care" or four years inside is entirely dependant on luck or the lack of it.To me that seems to be a lunatic way to run a justice system.
Similarly,if I tried to kill someone by pointing a loaded gun at their head and pulling the trigger I should be equally guilty of a crime whether I blew their head off or if the gun failed and didnt go off.The intent would be the same and for me thats the crime.

I thought the punishment for attempted mudrder is similar to murder. Is it not?
I'm sure luck/a good Brief does come into it a lot. But isn't the new crimes of Causing Death by... an attempt to standardise sentences.

Surely you do accept that people should be responsible for their actions - whatever the consequences. Otherwise there woul be no such concept as manslaughter

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Lorry driver wasnt speeding.He just failed to notice the traffic jam and ran into the back of the other vehicle.This happens very often on the motorway and is by far the most common accident.Whether you get a fifty quid fine for "due care" or four years inside is entirely dependant on luck or the lack of it.To me that seems to be a lunatic way to run a justice system.
Similarly,if I tried to kill someone by pointing a loaded gun at their head and pulling the trigger I should be equally guilty of a crime whether I blew their head off or if the gun failed and didnt go off.The intent would be the same and for me thats the crime.

My dad was a lorry driver for 15 years or more.. the pressure he was under as a Haulier was rediculous, he took his responsibility so seriously as do most lorry drivers, to make a "mistake" as very serious as it was and to be punished so seriously just doesnt make sense...
Given the information we know I feel sorry for him, but maybe theres is stuff we dont know...

still condolances to the families....

[Biker Biggles]

I do indeed agree that people should be responsible for their actions,and I dont think the lorry driver should have got away scot free,just that giving him four years was a bit of gratuitous revenge that the justice system should rise above.Because it is such an extreme case,and high profile,it wont be a deterrant to others either.Maybe if they nicked a few hundred tailgaters and sent them all to prison for a week it would have much more effect,because it would be relevant to huge numbers of others who drive dangerously like that every day.