Mother's anger at two-month jail spell for dangerous driver who wrecked son's life (From The Argus)

Mother's anger at two-month jail spell for dangerous driver who wrecked son's life

12:30pm Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News

A mother has spoken of her anger that the drunken driver who caused her son’s life-changing injuries has been released early from prison.

Aly Richardson said justice had not been done after Anthony Davis, of Rattle Road in Westham, was released on home detention curfew (HDC) just two months into an eight-month sentence for dangerous driving.

Her son, Andrew Richardson, of Princess Drive in Seaford, was 20 minutes from death after becoming trapped in a Porsche driven by Mr Davis which ploughed into a concrete block in Eastbourne Road, Westham, in April last year.

She said if the family had been made aware that Mr Davis could have been released early from prison they would have appealed against his original sentence.

The accident left professional golfer Mr Richardson, known as AJ, with a broken pelvis, two broken vertebrae in his back and requiring a bladder reconstruction.

Mrs Richardson said her son has struggled to play golf since the accident and was barred from qualifying for The Open in June because he could only complete a round with the use of a buggy.

She added that no one informed her that Mr Davis had been released from prison and she only found out when a friend spotted him in Eastbourne.

She said: “If we had known he could have been out in two months on curfew we would have appealed to make sure he served at least four months in jail.

“AJ is back working in the club shop but he is not back playing full-time because he can’t walk the 18 holes and it could be a long while before he is able to do it.

“We asked the R&A if he could have special dispensation to use a buggy for qualifying for The Open in June, which is his dream, but they said only people with degenerative conditions could use a buggy.”

A National Offender Management Service spokesman said: “To be placed on HDC, a prisoner must have served a quarter of their sentence.

“If a prison governor thinks there is a significant risk to the public, or risk of reoffending on HDC, then the release will not be granted.”