Express & Star

Express & Star comment: Killer driver's sentence is a disgrace

Tyler Kendall was given just six years behind bars.

Published
Tyler Kendall was given a six-year sentence for the crash that killed Vikki Jones

The pathetic sentence given to killer driver Tyler Kendall is an absolute disgrace.

The 22-year-old, who had been drinking alcohol when he got behind the wheel of his sports car in a pitiful attempt to show off to his pals, has been jailed for six years after he ploughed into Vikki Jones's car.

His actions left Ms Jones dead and her young daughter injured.

To make matters worse, rather than stay and face up to his crime, Kendall fled the scene.

The number of crimes committed by Kendall on that night, and indeed their nature, are quite sickening.

He drove his BMW at speeds well above the speed limit, went down the wrong side of the road.

His actions have torn a family apart.

Vikki Jones was aged 30 when she died

And this was not the first time Kendall had been involved in driving offences.

In an incident in 2014, two schoolgirls were left with injuries after he was caught driving without due care and attention in Dudley.

Our legal system really is an embarrassment at times.

What ever happened to the punishment fitting the crime?

Kendall, having ended one life and caused a lifetime of misery for others, could well be back on the streets in three years time.

According to his lawyer, he blames no one but himself for the crime he has committed.

Few will have even an ounce of sympathy for this reckless idiot.

He should be facing a custodial sentence far longer than the one given to him by Judge Michael Challinor.

Through our Stop the Speeders campaign, the Express & Star has been calling for tougher sentences for killer drivers.

Without a proper deterrent, these crimes will continue to mount up.

Lives are being lost, partly as a result of a long-standing weakness in our criminal justice system.

Instead of getting tough on crime, successive governments have seen fit to pander to criminals.

There has been an apparent lack of concern for the victims of crime and their families, which goes a long way to explaining why so many people have lost faith in the law.

It is a depressing state of affairs.

What Britain really needs is a government that is willing to lead with a firm hand.