FORGIVEN
Family of dad killed by driver, 89, ask judge to show mercy because of their Christian faith
A KILLER motorist walked free from court yesterday after his victim’s family forgave him.
They said they did not want revenge for Edward Whalen, 89, ploughing his car into Paul John and his daughter Angela.
Mr John, a 47-year-old healthcare worker, is thought to have pushed the nine-year- old to safety before taking the full impact himself.
He died from his injuries two days later when, in another act of selflessness, his organs were donated to save others. Angela escaped with minor injuries.
Whalen was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence after Mr John’s family told a judge their Christian faith meant they should show forgiveness. The retired train driver from Burnage in Manchester had faced up to 14 years in jail after admitting causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.
Passing sentence, Judge Martin Rudland told Whalen: ‘His widow indicated to me that the family have shown significant concern for Mr Whalen and they show forgiveness.
‘It is unusual in circumstances but not unique in cases like this that there is no anger or vengeance.
‘The family are grieving and dealing with their grief but are thinking of Mr Whalen in a very respectful and supportive way. This makes my job a little easier. They show forgiveness – they express mercy.’ He said Whalen could not have anticipated what would happen, was fit to be behind the wheel and was driving safely.
He added: ‘You are remorseful and this has caused distress for you also and I do not see why you should not be able to keep your liberty.’
Earlier, David Lees, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court that police investigators had decided it was not a case of speeding.
Mr John was crossing the road with Angela when he was hit, landing on the bonnet of Whalen’s Kia Picanto. Officers said Whalen, a father of two and grandfather, had had two seconds to react but failed to stop in time.
In a police interview he was unable to explain what happened and said he only remembered Mr John walking out in front of him. A woman pushing her two-year-old son in a pram was also hurt in the crash in Wythenshawe last March.
Alistair McDonald, in mitigation, said Whalen was driving home from a hospital check-up but the road was tricky to navigate and there was no pelican crossing. ‘It is a tragic case indeed,’ he said.
Mr John, who worked for a health trust in Manchester, moved to the UK from Kerala in southern India in 2001. His wife Mini is a staff nurse at Wythenshawe Hospital. Their elder daughter, Kimberley, 13, attends Whalley Range High School.