Danger drivers who kill should get life says grieving family
THE grieving parents of a fouryear-old girl mown down in an 83mph hit-and-run accident are demanding life sentences for dangerous drivers who kill.
Rebecca and Glenn Youens have launched a campaign for a 15-year minimum term after it emerged the killer of VioletGrace Youens will spend less time in prison than the little girl was alive.
Aidan McAteer, 24, was driving a stolen car at 83mph in a 30mph zone when he mowed down Violet-Grace and her grandmother Angela French in March 2017. Violet-Grace was killed and Angela left with serious injuries.
After the crash in St Helens, Merseyside, McAteer from Prescot, Merseyside, ran past the bodies of his two victims and then fled to Amsterdam where he was later arrested.
The killer was jailed for nine years and four months at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.
His passenger Dean Brennan, who helped him flee the country, was sentenced to six years and eight months.
Under sentencing guidelines McAteer could have been handed 14 years but he pleaded guilty – entitling him to a onethird reduction on his sentence.
The self-confessed drug user will spend half his sentence in prison and half on licence meaning he will have spent less than five years in prison.
The Youens family believe the justice system needs to review the length of sentencing and the way deductions are made.
Rebecca, 30, said: “When Violet was killed, that car was a weapon. If they’d used something else and killed my mum and Violet they would have been done for murder.
Her husband, Glenn, 31, added: “He pleaded guilty and got 30 per cent off his sentence so he’s going to serve less time in prison than Violet was alive.”
The family are petitioning the Government to
Aidan McAteer had his sentence cut bring in life sentences with a minimum of 15 years for anyone guilty of causing death by dangerous driving – the same tariff for murder. The petition has racked up more than 15,000 signatures in just two days. Rebecca said: “I have got to keep fighting for lives to be changed. We fundraise, that’s the only way we can parent Violet now. We can’t cuddle her but this is how we can do that.” She added: “The minimum sentence for murder is 15 years and that’s where the minimum tariff should be. It needs to be 15 years to life because our daughter has lost her life.” The maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years. It is five years for causing death by careless driving, but many offenders are handed a fraction of the maximum term.
To sign the Youens’ petition go to: petition. parliament .uk/petitions/236952