Killer of Eilidh Cairns facing jail for killing a pedestrian

[Crankarm]

http://road.cc/content/news/60616-d...ase-told-he-faces-jail-over-second-road-death

Sickening, absolutely sickening.

Systemic incompetence and sloth. The police and CPS don't give a monkey's ............

The loss of Eilidh and failure by police and CPS to investigate or prosecute, must have destroyed the Cairns family. Absolutely disgraceful, a stain on the criminal justice system.

 

[dawesome]

Without ignoring the grief ofth three families that have been torn apart by this case, there are elements of farce throughout. The police completely cocked up the original investigation, waved away witnesses that the Cairns tracked down, staged a ridiculous reconstruction, didn't even bother to test Lopes' eyesight until urged by the Cairns, the police officer made sarcastic and flippant remarks in the court. A multi-level failure, with tragic consequences.

 

[AnotherEye]

Without ignoring the grief ofth three families that have been torn apart by this case, there are elements of farce throughout. The police completely cocked up the original investigation, waved away witnesses that the Cairns tracked down, staged a ridiculous reconstruction, didn't even bother to test Lopes' eyesight until urged by the Cairns, the police officer made sarcastic and flippant remarks in the court. A multi-level failure, with tragic consequences.

+1, you just said it all!

 

[dawesome]

This was just posted on the LFGSS forum:


Lorry driver jailed following fatal collision in Westminster

Joao Pedro Correia Lopes, 56 (23.12.55) of Ashlin Road, E15 was today,
Wednesday 1 August, sentenced to four years in prison for causing death
by dangerous driving, contrary to s1 Road Traffic Act 1988 and 12 months
knowingly causing false data to be recorded on recording equipment,
cont. to sect 99ZE of the Transport Act. This related to his affecting
the tachograph to believe his vehicle was stationary and at rest when it
was being driven.

He was also banned from driving for six years and will have to retake
his test.

Lopes had previously pleaded guilty to the offences at Isleworth Crown
Court on Wednesday 27 June.

Police were called at approx. 12:00hrs on 17 June 2011 to a lorry in
collision with a pedestrian on the westbound Marylebone Road, near the
junction with Baker Street, NW1 - opposite Madam Tussauds.

Nora Gutmann, 97, from NW6 was taken by ambulance to St Mary's Hospital
where she died shortly after arrival.

A post-mortem gave cause of death as multiple injuries.

The lorry driver was arrested in connection with the incident and
charged as above.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

A friend of a friend has just been released from prison because the police cocked up severly. Basically he was on a dual carriagway pn the outside lane when a car come off the slip road and moved straight into the outside lane, causing a collision. The car flipped, and because the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, the driver was killed. My friends friend was jailed for death by dangerous driving, despite there being 10+ witnesses who the police totally ignored. It was only for a solicitor not connected to the case reading through the reports and statements that this guy was released. He had settled with the courts judgement as he thought there was nothing to do and didn't bother to appeal. This solicitor got in contact and said he would apply for appeal based on new evidence. The police just saw a young lad in a nice car and thought "we'll have him".

The police in this country now are either bent or not arsed anymore and it's shocking.

 

[StuartG]

Some police in this country are either bent or not arsed anymore and it's shocking.

FTFY.

I will concede too many but less than in the really bad days of the Met. Many decent coppers will agree. A civilised country requires a decent police force. Its an ongoing task to stamp out bad coppering. By the nature of things it can never completely succeed. Particularly if decent folk are discouraged from joining because if they too are automatically called corrupt and lazy.

 

[Crankarm]

This was just posted on the LFGSS forum:


Lorry driver jailed following fatal collision in Westminster

Joao Pedro Correia Lopes, 56 (23.12.55) of Ashlin Road, E15 was today,
Wednesday 1 August, sentenced to four years in prison for causing death
by dangerous driving, contrary to s1 Road Traffic Act 1988 and 12 months
knowingly causing false data to be recorded on recording equipment,
cont. to sect 99ZE of the Transport Act. This related to his affecting
the tachograph to believe his vehicle was stationary and at rest when it
was being driven.

He was also banned from driving for six years and will have to retake
his test.

Lopes had previously pleaded guilty to the offences at Isleworth Crown
Court on Wednesday 27 June.

Police were called at approx. 12:00hrs on 17 June 2011 to a lorry in
collision with a pedestrian on the westbound Marylebone Road, near the
junction with Baker Street, NW1 - opposite Madam Tussauds.

Nora Gutmann, 97, from NW6 was taken by ambulance to St Mary's Hospital
where she died shortly after arrival.

A post-mortem gave cause of death as multiple injuries.

The lorry driver was arrested in connection with the incident and
charged as above.

Some justice at last but still only 4 years for killing two people.

 

[StuartG]

Some justice at last but still only 4 years for killing two people.

Its not the length I have an issue with but the lingering feeling that a prosecution with a more modest sentence in the earlier case may have prevented the second.

 

[benb]

If someone gets a 6 year ban, and serves a 4 year jail term, does that mean they are in effect only banned for 2 years, or does the driving ban start when they are released?

IMO, this person should be given a lifetime ban for this. (does anyone know whether that was an option for the court?)

 

[StuartG]

If the guy is well behaved he may be out in two on licence. But he won't get the other licence for four more years. Presumably he will have to re-take and getting back the HGV bit will take even more time and cost. Effectively ending his career as a HGV driver unless he decides, like many others, to drive disqualified. The paradox is if you give a lifetime ban then there is no incentive to stay good to get your licence back. The outcome could be worse.

 

[lordloveaduck]

Does anyone think that he wont get behind the wheel regardless of being banned.

 

[StuartG]

Does anyone think that he wont get behind the wheel regardless of being banned.

Without a licence and with that record he is unlikely to be behind the wheel of a HGV unless its stolen. If he ever wants to get back to commercial driving he has a powerful incentive to stay clean. If he doesn't who knows? Except the likelihood of driving while disqualified and without insurance would probably increase with the length of the ban.

Dealing with offences through disqualification is mostly honoured by the people who care (or realise they should have cared). Its pretty useless with the others. Jail is very costly and only teaches them more anti-social life skills. We really don't have a handle on this.

And the folks who say "lock'em up and throw away the key" are often those less inclined to pay the bill.

 

[dawesome]

Go after the employers. How did Dennis Putz get insurance? Who employed Lopes? Who removed the magnet from his lorry when it was in the cops compound? Go after the employers, and the insurers.

 

[Crankarm]

I maybe wrong but these guys might not have been born in the UK so from a different country so why not deport them after they have served their sentences?

 

[Crankarm]

Its not the length I have an issue with but the lingering feeling that a prosecution with a more modest sentence in the earlier case may have prevented the second.

AFAIK the CPS decided not to prosecute when he killed Edi Cairns or the prosecution failed. Either way it is a stain on British judicial system. Cyclists in Reading in repsonse to this incompetence held a demonstration outside the CPS or court. But you are right, had Lopez been put behind bars after killing Edi Cairns then a second death from his appalling driving might have been prevented.