5 years for driver who left teen to die in road
Furious parents say the sentence ‘is not justice’
A hit-And-run driver who mowed down a schoolgirl and left her dying in the street has been jailed for more than five years.
Shaun Gatti hit 15-year-old robyn Fryar in Paisley, renfrewshire after drinking at a nightclub in the town.
Gatti, 21, then fled in his black VW Golf, which he tried to hide under a tarpaulin before an anonymous tip-off led to his arrest.
Last night, robyn’s furious parents vowed to appeal against his ‘so short’ sentence.
her mother, Cheryl Madden, said: ‘that sentence is outrageous, absolutely outrageous.
‘i’m going to appeal against that sentence because i don’t think that was just.’
At the high Court in Glasgow yesterday, Gatti was sentenced to five years and three months and banned from driving for more than 11 years.
he had earlier admitted causing the teenager’s death by dangerous driving on July 7 last year. Gatti, of Paisley, also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Judge Lord Mulholland told him he had delivered the most acute grief and a ‘life sentence’ to robyn’s family, who were present in court.
the judge added: ‘You fled the scene and this was a most cowardly act. You should have faced up to what you had done and tried to help her.’
Lord Mulholland paid tribute to the ‘enduring bravery’ and ‘human spirit’ of robyn’s relatives.
robyn – an only child – was struck as she crossed a road with friends around 2am. they had been celebrating after completing her school exams.
the court heard that Gatti had earlier been at Paisley’s Vienna nightclub and was captured on CCtV drinking a cocktail from a ‘fish bowl’ glass.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice, QC, said: ‘he drank from this glass more than once, but the Crown cannot say how much.’
Police estimated that Gatti was driving at up to 47mph in a 30mph zone on the wrong side of the road when the accident happened.
Mr Prentice said ‘robyn was struck by the car and carried on for a distance.
‘She was then thrown forward when the brakes were applied and the car came to a stop. Gatti and passenger Andrew Graham got out of the car, saw robyn on the ground, got back in and sped off.
‘robyn’s friends, who saw the collision, were hysterical.’
After a hearing last month, robyn’s father ian Fryar said: ‘he didn’t show a bit of remorse when he killed my daughter.’
Last night, Mr said he did not expect the sentence to be ‘so short’. he added: ‘A judge decides to give him a few years in prison.
‘if that’s justice, i don’t know what justice is.
‘it’s like robyn was insignificant and meant nothing.’