A YOUNG driver was caged for 4½ years after killing two teenagers by ploughing his speeding car into the rear of their parked vehicle.
Police estimated that Craig Davis, who passed his driving test 11 months earlier, was doing at least 76mph when he lost control of a 2.6 litre, V6 VW Golf one night as he gave friends a lift home from a pub.
The car careered into the back of a Vauxhall Corsa which was parked outside a takeaway on the 30mph-limit Rochdale Road in Blackley.
The Corsa, in which three friends were sitting eating pizza, and another parked car were shunted about 16 metres uphill along Rochdale Road.
Neil Mills, 18, an apprentice car mechanic who was in the rear of the Corsa, died almost immediately. Anthony Crosby, 15, who was in the front passenger seat, was freed from the wreckage but died in hospital that night.
The driver of the Corsa, 18-year-old Kevin Cosgrove, was seriously hurt, but survived. He had to have metal plates inserted into a serious head injury and was only released from hospital three months later, recalling nothing of the incident.
Davis, 20, a plasterer and tiler who was 19 at the time, pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving as well as driving without insurance.
Judge Robert Atherton sentenced Davis to 4½ years in a Young Offenders' Institution and told him that he accepted he would not have appreciated precisely how fast he was going at the time.
"However," he said, "I'm sure you did appreciate that you were going faster than you should have done on that road."
He added: "You were going too fast and you were unable then to control what was a very powerful car."
Powerful
Davis, of Hollins Lane, Middleton, who had one speeding conviction in his short driving career, owned and usually drove a 1.2 litre Fiat Punto. But on the night of the incident, had been loaned the powerful car by his cousin to drive him and a friend home from the pub.
Prosecutor Michael Knowles said some witnesses told of the car being `driven to its limits' at about 90mph.
Police used CCTV footage which captured the car before the accident to estimate it was travelling at `no less than 76mph', he said.
Davis, who had not been drinking, did not flee the scene, immediately admitted he waws the driver and was arrested.
He admitted he had been loaned the car by his cousin and it was while he was giving the cousin and a friend a lift home that the incident happened.
He said he stopped at traffic lights before the incident, but admitted in a second interview that he had jumped them. In a statement, he had insisted he believed his driving had not been dangerous.
Timothy Bubb, defending, presented a file of testimonials to the judge, vouching for Davis's good character.
He said Davis was a `thoroughly decent young man' who had not appreciated the speed at which he was travelling because he was used to his own, far less powerful car.
Mr Bubb added: "He accepts the very real seriousness of the offence and there is no waking moment he's not aware of what he did."
Davis was also banned from the roads for five years, although the court was told that he never again wanted to get behind the wheel of a car.
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Four and a half years in a young offenders institution, with a gym, tv, play station etc, that will be hard going!
What a joke this lad should have got life and be banned for life. He should not have even been driving the car if he had no insurance for it, and i do not believe for one minute that he did not realise how fast he was going.
Four and half years and we were told by phone call !!!!! We were supposed to be in court on thursday to see the lad sentenced,but it was doner behinf=d families backs! ! Heres the justice system for you ENGLAND!!! 2 lads killed,1 injured and mentally scarred for life...4 and half years!!! I am Anthonys aunty,i have just spoke to Neils mum.We are laying flowers at the scene of the crash today,we are gob smacked.This is not on.No comment from the family ey,but little mr Davies gets to say hes part.Well done England!!!!! Sorry boys,Sleep easy lads,love you both forever and ever XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
This sentence is a joke. Didn't realise how fast he was going? You must be joking.
Lets see all those people who are protesting at the graffiti artists sentence for being too harsh, start protesting for this idiot to get a longer sentence. Will they bother? No they won't. Band and wagon come to mind.
This is the sort of time when a sentence really must be harsh in order to deter other people from even taking the risk. 76MPH in a 30MPH zone, that's just crazy. And all without insurance of course.
lots of emotive words used in this article. "big" "Powerful" "at its limits" "death driver" etc etc etc.
pity the judge didnt use similar emotive words at the sentencing. "life" "10 years minimum" would be suitable for the driver, and "death cousin" "10 years" and "joint responsibility" for the lender or the car.
i hope the families of the poor lads in the corsa can take a little comfort from the sentence, but i doubt i would be able in their position.
my thoughts and condolences to the families.
ANTHONYS FAMILY.....
Anthony and neil both have sites on gonetoosoon if anyone would like to light a candle for our two young boys who were robbbed of their young lives by this idiot.......
just noticed the post from a family relative. hy heart goes out to her. someone should send this link to the judge.
also, as the driver stated he never wanted to drive again, wouldnt it have been sensible to withdraw his licence for life too? a simple restriction saying if caught driving ever again he woulod serve a minimum of 20 yrs jail would have added some clout to this pathetic state of affairs!
Quote: "In a statement, he had insisted he believed his driving had not been dangerous." Yet he still managed to have a crash and kill two people. The sentance doesn't reflect the crime here. He didn't even have any insurance. He'll be out soon enough after a comfortable stay at HM's pleasure. When are the courts going to hand out a sentance that works as a deterrent to others?
This is awful. How can he say he wasnt driving dangerously yet never wants to get behind the wheel again? My sincere condolences to the families.
Do VW golfs not have speedometers? I am so sorry for the families of the lads who died and the lad left with terrible injuries. The charge should have been at least manslaughter.
My heart goes out to the familys of these young men, the loss of a child is devastating, but its not just the loss of the child its what might have been, they would have had families, lived a full life, and one young man behind a wheel ripped these families apart. I agree 41/2 years isnt enough, he was in charge of a deadly weapon, might as well have had a club in his hand and to say he didnt think he was going that fast, of course he did he was showing off, he needs to face upto it, I am sure his parents feel their loss but he will be home these parents will never see, or feel their boys again.
it may only be four and a half years but it doesn't end there. mr davies has to live with this for the rest of his life, and believe me he wil never forget it. he is wel and truly sorry for what he's done. my heart goes out to the victims and their families but he is not a bad lad infact he is one of the nicest people you could meet.
Anthonys aunty.....
I do realise that he will live with it for the rest of hes life and so will WE!! Im not even getting annoyed bea i know that.It is the point of it!! 4 and half years,2killed,1 badly injured.Lovely lad knew he was speeding and went through red lights and lied until he knew there was evidence.And yes,he had a deadly weapon that night.What is this showing to idiot drivers who speed on main roads.
Anyone could of been killed that night.He is very lucky and lovely,of course..Sorry to all of hes family,actually,because they have asentence to live with too.
Michelle
once again lives have been taken by someone driving like a maniac and once again the sentence is pathetic,when are the laws in this country going to change so that the sentence fits the crime,also why is it when these people appear in court they are always "lovely lads,couldn't meet better" aren't they all in front of their parents and family. now this lad is off to the "hotel" he will be staying at for the next 3 or so years, my heart goes out the family of those murdered by this lad, may god give them the strength to carry on with their lives, and hope that soon the law will change so that these people will get longer sentences and that life means life for all these people.
When are the Judges of this land going to wake up and do what they are paid massive salaries for. 4.5 years for two young boys lives. The sentence is a total disgrace, a complete sham. He should have got life. He killed two boys with thier whole lives ahead of them. To the lady who said he is truly sorry, well i hope he is, i hope he thinks about that fatefull day for the rest of his sorry life. My heart goes out to the families of these boys. What a way for them to be informed, you would think somebody would have had the decency to knock on thier door and inform them of the sentence, no not the Britian we live in , they do it by phone. HOW COLD IS THAT. THEN AGAIN HOW COLD IS THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN. God bless these two children.
just another thought this lad said he was used to driving a smaller car and didn't realise how fast he was going,rubbish,he would know the difference between 30 and 75 miles an hour, he went through a red light, obviously the rules don't apply to him, I have no sympathy for him at all, my sympathy is with the parents and family of these boys who were killed, this boy should be serving life for what he has done,the boys he killed would have gone on to marry and have chidren and given their parents grandchildren but they have lost all that now thanks to this mindless idiotic lad he has not been given the sentence he fully deserved......LIFE.
These judges are so out of touch with the real world. Pathetic sentence.
well said Jacko! what say the graffiti artist defenders about the sentence this person got, after, all, he is considered by some to be a 'lovely lad' - come on Doubledee, come on Ally - the silence is deafening!!!
I'd like to meet the judge and have him explain to me that if it was his kid who had been killed would he have given such a so called sentance. I'm goin to the crash site with flowers after work, I hope the Davis's make Craig a nice little parcel full of goodies, a large postal order, some CDs, Let him ring you on your mobile, write to you with all his thoughts you know, all the things I'd like to give and share with our Anthony but I suppose flowers for a teenage lad will be appreciated! Are'nt you so very hard done to Craig. Sleep easy tonight mate!
to the famillies and friends of the two young lads killed, and the surviving youngster, who no doubt is still suffering, my heart goes out to you all
To the defence solicitor - do you honestly expect anyone to believe the statement he did not realise the speed he was travelling at ... oh hang on a minute one person did believe you ...the judge who passed this absolutely disgraceful sentence .....what has this country come to
2.6 litre, V6 VW Golf in the hands of a new driver under the age of 25? .who the hell insures these people and how much would it cost this young driver. Young drivers under the age of 25 should not be allowed to drive cars larger than 1000cc until they pss their 25th birthday without a speeding ticket this way it will help to keep a lot of these high powered cars out of the hands of inexperienced drivers and young drivers.
After thinking long and hard I can't come up with a punishment I would see fit for the 'driver'. I would have suggested the Army to try and make something useful come out of this, but that would take someone with bravery and descency. Back to the drawing board then!
RC Anthony's Aunty