Avril Childs daughter Sarah was killed and Claire was severely injured after 36-year-old restaurant boss, Amirul Islam, who was driving an Audi A4 at the time of the incident, failed to stop or slow down to avoid hitting the sisters.
Islam who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving was jailed for four years, banned from driving for five years and was told by Judge Michael Chambers that he had been guilty of “deliberate and arrogant piece of driving.”
According to law, when a driving ban has been implemented it goes into action at the beginning of the jail sentence meaning that those guilty of driving offences serve out their driving ban while in prison.
Astounded by the fact that offenders are legally entitled to get back behind the wheel soon after leaving prison, Avril campaigned for a change in the law which means that driving bans will only begin after the offender has been released.
Commenting on her fight for justice, Avril said: “My husband and I never want any other parents to go through what our family has endured. The progress on keeping dangerous drivers who kill with a car off the roads is welcome. But the government must go further. Tougher sentences are essential. This is the first step ,not the last word.”
