IN THE NEWS
SIX YEARS’ DETENTION FOR BRADFORD BOY WHO KILLED THREE PEOPLE IN M606 CRASH
A 16-year-old boy has been sentenced to six years’ detention for killing a cabbie and his passenger while speeding the wrong way down the M606 at Bradford in a stolen Ford Transit van. Jack Simpson, from Bradford, was aged 15 when he crashed head-on into a PHV on June 13. The driver, Sohail Ali, 28, and his passenger Simon McHugh, 49, were pronounced dead at the scene. Kyden Leadbeater, 18, who was a passenger in the Transit van, died in hospital a day later. Mr McHugh’s mum spoke directly to Simpson in court as she bravely read out her family’s victim impact statement. She told Bradford Crown Court: "He (Simpson) is only young, he has time to change. I hope he has a very happy life with children. My son doesn’t have a life anymore. Please use it, do some good with your life." Sentencing Simpson, the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said: “Allowing you credit for a guilty plea the sentence on the three offences is one of six years concurrent on each. “That is six years detention on the grounds that neither a sentence of detention and training, nor a youth rehabilitation order are approp-
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riate disposals in this case." He continued: “These sentences will be regarded by many as placing a wholly inadequate value on the lives of Mr Ali, Mr McHugh and Mr Leadbeater. “They are not intended to place a value on their lives, the sentences are the maximum I could pass on you for such offences. “You will serve half the period of six years in custody less time on remand to date and then will be released on licence which means you will be approaching 19 by the time you are released on licence.” Simpson pleaded guilty to three charges of causing death by dangerous driving and one charge of dangerous driving. Peter Moulson QC said in mitigation that he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, he was 15 at the time and had no previous convictions. He had a chaotic upbringing that had affected his development. He had been exposed to domestic abuse and neglect that had left him traumatised. He had special educational needs and was emotionally immature partly due to lack of attendance at school. While on remand he had behaved well and was taking steps to make progress in that environment. He accepted full responsibility and had demonstrated remorse, saying: ‘I’m never going to forgive myself’ and he didn’t like talking about it ‘because I would never stop crying.’
Judge Mansell said Simpson was just days short of his 16th birthday and on bail and a curfew for burglaries.
The Judge said the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving was 14 years. New guidelines had raised it to life imprisonment just days after the crash.
Simpson was also banned from driving for six years and must pass an extended test before he applies for a licence. In a statement to
the the
Telegraph and Argus, Sohail Ali’s family said they had been left shocked and had struggled to find closure. “We and many, many other people believe justice was not served and this gentleman will be free to live his life after three years in prison. “This is a person who took three innocent lives and affected countless others by his reckless actions.” They
said Simpson “totally
understood what he was doing at the time” and added: “He has been treated as a minor and given a sentence
shorter than some
people receive for smaller charges such as assault. “No consideration was given to the impact the losses have had on the families of all three that were killed that day by Simpson." They slammed it as “a true miscarriage of justice.”
OCTOBER 2022 PHTM
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