Nine Years for Hit-and-Run Killer

Ian Carr, a banned driver and career criminal with 89 previous convictions, who killed a child in a hit-and-run crash on New Year’s Eve, was yesterday jailed for nine and a half years.

His sentencing prompted calls for review of the penalties imposed on repeat offenders and those found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Carr, 27, was at the wheel of a stolen Vauxhall Astra when it raced through red lights and smashed into a Citroen Saxo hatchback, killing six-year-old Rebecca Sawyer and leaving her 18-month-old sister Kirsty critically injured.

Kirsty, who was flung out of the vehicle by the impact, is still recovering at hospital. The girls’ father, Steven, 33, was also badly hurt.

The crash occurred near the family home in Ashington. Yesterday Mr Sawyer and his wife, Sharon, sat in silence, just 15 feet from the dock, as Carr was sentenced. He had been convicted on six counts, including driving while disqualified, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, taking a vehicle without consent and causing death by dangerous driving. He could not be charged with murder because there was no evidence of premeditation.

Carr, from Ashington, had been released from prison after serving time for burglary only a few months before the crash. During the trial it emerged that he had 89 previous convictions, some for joyriding, and had appeared in court 25 times.

Described as a career criminal, Carr had previously been banned from driving for life by a Scottish court and had been locked up as a 15-year-old for causing death by reckless driving. During the hearing yesterday he remained impassive.

Speaking outside court, Mr Sawyer said: “Me, Sharon, and all our family are now just pleased that this is over and we can try, as hard as it is without Rebecca, to rebuild our lives for Kirsty’s sake. Nothing but a life sentence will stop Ian Carr from getting behind the wheel of a car in future, and no doubt he will. It is too late for my daughter now, but he will do this again unless he is somehow stopped. Personally, I would cut the legs off such people, but he should have got a life sentence if it had been possible. It should be a life for a life.”

After the trial, Inspector Paul Gilroy of Northumbria police revealed Carr had offered no apology for his behaviour.

“He is a menace to the motoring public at large, and the only time he will cease to be that is when he is serving a custodial sentence,” Mr Gilroy said.

Chief Superintendent Bob Pattison said: “Dennis Murphy (the Labour MP) was so concerned about this incident that he contacted the home secretary to discuss tightening up the laws on repeat offenders, and whether the charges that can be levied for motoring offences when death is involved should be reviewed.” He added: “Mr Murphy wants to work with Northumbria police to examine similar cases before making recommendations to the home secretary.”

(From ‘The Guardian’, abridged)

Problem solving.

Analyze the facts given in both articles very carefully and prepare a short speech as if you were taking part in the work of a board reviewing the British and American laws on repeat offenders.

First act as if you were in favour of tightening up the laws and then as if you were against it. You must be prepared to support both points of view. While preparing the speech think over the following points.

1. What results can you possibly achieve?

2. Think what arguments would best suit your purpose, and what facts you had better avoid.

3. Think what facts and arguments could be cited against your point of view and get ready to counter them.

4. Revise task 19, Unit 4 and arrange your arguments in the way that would lead your listeners to the conclusion you need.

5. Think how you could present your speech in the form of questions and answers.