Speeding drive jailed for death of grandfather (From The Argus)
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Speeding drive jailed for death of grandfather
3:50pm Wednesday 23rd November 2011 in News By Anna Roberts
A man who was driving at more than 50mph in a 30mph zone when he ploughed into another vehicle and killed a grandfather has been jailed for a year.
Samuel Squires, 22, appeared in the dock at Lewes Crown Court yesterday (November 22).
The court was told that Squires was driving a Vauxhall Astra at more than 20mph above the speed limit when he crashed into 62-year-old Alec Burke’s Honda Civic as the “generous” father and grandfather pulled out at a junction.
Mr Burke’s family said Squires would have to live with what he had done for the rest of his life.
They said: “Firstly, as a family we would like to pay tribute to our loving dad and grandad, Alec Burke. Nothing can ever replace the emptiness we feel as a result of his sudden and tragic death.
“We are understandably upset that the defendant, Samuel Squires, was not convicted of dangerous driving, although take comfort from the fact that he has pleaded guilty to the offence of causing our father’s death by careless driving.
“We feel the defendant’s driving was inappropriate for the circumstances and realise he will have to live with his excess speed and the consequences of it for the rest of his life.
“Nonetheless, the pain for us goes much deeper as our father was the integral part of our family and his love, generosity and humour will be missed by us all.
“He touched so many people’s lives in such a positive way and we now hope he is at peace and is satisfied some form of justice has been done in his memory.”
Following the crash on the afternoon of February 15 this year emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Burke, of Morgan Close, Sidley, Bexhill, was cut free from the wreckage of his car by firefighters but declared dead at the scene.
The crash occurred at the junction of Cooden Drive and Westcourt Drive in Bexhill.
Squires, of Ninfield Road, Sidley, Bexhill, was initially charged with causing death by dangerous driving but an alternative count of causing death by careless driving was accepted.
Comments(10)
Nick Brighton
says...
4:25pm Wed 23 Nov 11
davyboy wrote:I'm only guessing here, but don't the courts take into account mitigating and aggravating factors when deciding on a sentence? e.g. the fact that he pleaded guilty reduces the sentence. Isn't the starting point for deciding what sentence to apply, the mid-point of the range i.e. 2.5 years? Whether 5 years maximum for causing death by careless driving is sufficient, is a different matter.
is that it, when the maximum is 5 years? another soft sentence handed down by a judge. the man who killed my son was convicted of the same, and didn't even go to jail. it is about time that these sentences were set in stone, and that there was no leeway.
ShorehamBeachcomber
says...
4:30pm Wed 23 Nov 11
davyboy wrote:Because the other guy pulled out into his path? Would have been tight even at 30 potentially?
is that it, when the maximum is 5 years? another soft sentence handed down by a judge. the man who killed my son was convicted of the same, and didn't even go to jail. it is about time that these sentences were set in stone, and that there was no leeway.
Hi Spaniola
says...
4:32pm Wed 23 Nov 11
ShorehamBeachcomber wrote:Agreed! It makes the speeding ONE of the contributing factors...the other being that the man pulled out of a junction when unsafe to do so.
davyboy wrote:Because the other guy pulled out into his path? Would have been tight even at 30 potentially?
is that it, when the maximum is 5 years? another soft sentence handed down by a judge. the man who killed my son was convicted of the same, and didn't even go to jail. it is about time that these sentences were set in stone, and that there was no leeway.
davyboy
says...
4:32pm Wed 23 Nov 11
Nick Brighton wrote:the man who killed my son pleaded guilty, got 6 months (suspended for 2 years) 240hrs community service, and a 3 year ban. no justice at all. my point really is that the laid down tariff should be the minimum if they plead guilty, increasing if they don't, and are then found to be. we were not able to challenge the sentence because he pleaded guilty!!
davyboy wrote:I'm only guessing here, but don't the courts take into account mitigating and aggravating factors when deciding on a sentence? e.g. the fact that he pleaded guilty reduces the sentence. Isn't the starting point for deciding what sentence to apply, the mid-point of the range i.e. 2.5 years? Whether 5 years maximum for causing death by careless driving is sufficient, is a different matter.
is that it, when the maximum is 5 years? another soft sentence handed down by a judge. the man who killed my son was convicted of the same, and didn't even go to jail. it is about time that these sentences were set in stone, and that there was no leeway.
Thatsjustyummy
says...
6:09pm Wed 23 Nov 11
Hi Spaniola wrote:both of these points are extremely crucial to the case to differentiate between 'careless' and 'dangerous'
ShorehamBeachcomber wrote:Agreed! It makes the speeding ONE of the contributing factors...the other being that the man pulled out of a junction when unsafe to do so.
davyboy wrote:Because the other guy pulled out into his path? Would have been tight even at 30 potentially?
is that it, when the maximum is 5 years? another soft sentence handed down by a judge. the man who killed my son was convicted of the same, and didn't even go to jail. it is about time that these sentences were set in stone, and that there was no leeway.
If his speed had been another 10mph or more then it would have almost been a conviction for 'dangerous'.
The sad fast is, two acts of careless driving caused the death of this man.
His own careless driving for pulling out in front of a moving vehicle onto the 'main' road and Squires' excess speed.
DougM
says...
9:18pm Wed 23 Nov 11
jimbobmaginty
says...
10:20am Thu 24 Nov 11
He was over the speed limit and someone died? For me that’s a murder charge!!
Joshiman
says...
12:38pm Thu 24 Nov 11
ughter call it what you like.Someone loved by their family died because of this.
Spx
says...
12:54pm Thu 24 Nov 11
davyboy says...
4:05pm Wed 23 Nov 11