Thorpe Groyney
Open your mind
The place where I work are running this story on their news page:
A lorry driver who killed a young woman on the A13 in Basildon, while under the influence of drugs has been jailed for 14 months.
The parents of Louise Cooper say they are outraged at the sentence given to trucker Lee Baker, who crashed into the 23-year-old between the Greenacres and the Five Bells roundabouts in Basildon, on February 11 last year. Baker, of West Bromwich, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to one count of death by dangerous driving at Basildon Crown Court yesterday. The 40-year-old had previously been charged with one count of causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs, but this was later dropped.
Miss Cooper’s mother and stepfather, Julie and Rees Willis, branded Baker’s sentence “a disgrace”. Mrs Willis, 46, of Brandon Groves, South Ockendon, said: “Louise was only worth 14 months. We’re absolutely devastated. The law is not on your side. It took her three quarters of an hour to die at the hands of that monster. My concern is there’s all this publicity with drug driving, and yet he was under the influence of cannabis.”
The court heard Baker was driving a 7.5-tonne lorry on the eastbound carriageway of the A13 when the crash happened. At the time of the tragedy, Miss Cooper, of Celedon Close, Chafford Hundred, had pulled over on the hard shoulder following a minor shunt with the driver of a Ford Fiesta. She was about to exchange insurance details with the Fiesta’s driver when Baker ploughed into her.
Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Baker had been driving the lorry at 60mph despite foggy weather and heavy traffic. Mark Graffius, mitigating, however, told the court Baker had shown remorse for Miss Cooper’s death and asked his guilty plea to be taken into account.
Judge John Lodge told Baker he alone was to blame for Miss Cooper’s death. He said: “What caused this accident and the tragic death was the fact you were going too fast in all the circumstances.” Mr Lodge said the sentence was in line with Sentencing Guidelines Council recommendations. Baker was disqualified from driving for three years, and will have to retake his driving test.
Where do you think the blame lies for such a short sentence for taking a life in such a horrible way? Incompetent judge? Poor case presented by the prosecution? Sentencing guidelines too soft?
A lorry driver who killed a young woman on the A13 in Basildon, while under the influence of drugs has been jailed for 14 months.
The parents of Louise Cooper say they are outraged at the sentence given to trucker Lee Baker, who crashed into the 23-year-old between the Greenacres and the Five Bells roundabouts in Basildon, on February 11 last year. Baker, of West Bromwich, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to one count of death by dangerous driving at Basildon Crown Court yesterday. The 40-year-old had previously been charged with one count of causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs, but this was later dropped.
Miss Cooper’s mother and stepfather, Julie and Rees Willis, branded Baker’s sentence “a disgrace”. Mrs Willis, 46, of Brandon Groves, South Ockendon, said: “Louise was only worth 14 months. We’re absolutely devastated. The law is not on your side. It took her three quarters of an hour to die at the hands of that monster. My concern is there’s all this publicity with drug driving, and yet he was under the influence of cannabis.”
The court heard Baker was driving a 7.5-tonne lorry on the eastbound carriageway of the A13 when the crash happened. At the time of the tragedy, Miss Cooper, of Celedon Close, Chafford Hundred, had pulled over on the hard shoulder following a minor shunt with the driver of a Ford Fiesta. She was about to exchange insurance details with the Fiesta’s driver when Baker ploughed into her.
Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Baker had been driving the lorry at 60mph despite foggy weather and heavy traffic. Mark Graffius, mitigating, however, told the court Baker had shown remorse for Miss Cooper’s death and asked his guilty plea to be taken into account.
Judge John Lodge told Baker he alone was to blame for Miss Cooper’s death. He said: “What caused this accident and the tragic death was the fact you were going too fast in all the circumstances.” Mr Lodge said the sentence was in line with Sentencing Guidelines Council recommendations. Baker was disqualified from driving for three years, and will have to retake his driving test.
Where do you think the blame lies for such a short sentence for taking a life in such a horrible way? Incompetent judge? Poor case presented by the prosecution? Sentencing guidelines too soft?
