Jail for hit-and-run driver who killed teen cyclist then got cab home

At Merseyside Police our priority is to keep our communities safe and to prosecute any driver who puts the lives of others at risk

Is it hell! Unless Merseyside is vastly different to Lancashire the policy is: "wait until there are buckets of cyclist blood on the road and then come up with insincere tripe like this and the usual 'our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time'- otherwise, business as usual with joke non-penalties encouraging repetition of the offence

I wonder what you need to do to be banned from driving for life,?

Looks like his mother doesn't take full responsibility either as she described her son's behaviour as 'out of character'.

That sentence doesn't even come close to one deemed appropriate for the catalogue of errors this shit driver made: Dangerous driving, hit and run, manslaughter, concealing evidence, etc.

Sentencing guidelines need revamping and these judges need a reality check.

According to the Mirror, the driver had eight previous convictions. Clearly knows the ropes - plead guilty, get your solicitor to write a letter expressing remorse, and the sentence gets reduced significantly. Three years and four months - he'll be out in less than two, aged 24 with the rest of his life to look forward to

Small payment for taking a life.

There is a petition, that obviously hasn't been advertised much, for increasing sentences and permanent driving bans. Perhaps when it expires, a new one with more advertising (a banner on road.cc?) https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/578391

Disgraceful. This scumbag kills an innocent kid with his whole life ahead of him and gets a few lousy months in jail?!

And he will be allowed to legally drive again!

I can't begin to imagine how his family will deal with this.

Meek said in a letter to the judge ahead of sentencing that he took “full responsibility” for what had happened and that he “found it hard to come to terms with the harsh reality that Jack lost his life solely through my actions.”

Yeah, That was Meek's lawyer taking responsibility. Not actually Meek himself who penned the letter but under the instruction of his legal defence team.

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I get the feeling there is more to this story then what is mentioned. He was possibly driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (if not both)

In any case - Thats not how one takes "full responsibility"

My prayers and condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.

I wish it could have ended in a much heavier sentence but sadly the UK's Justice system isnt quite there yet.

This occured local to me. What this coverage misses out is that the driver (Leo Meek), has previous for joyriding. A car he was joyriding in led police in a very dangerous high speed chase around the area, and then crashed into a police car.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/yobs-smashed-police-...

He was lucky to avoid a custodial setence after this innital conviction. He was given a chance to do better and turn his life around. Yet he was apparently well known for still often speeding, although this is probably not admissable as hearsay. 

A chance he apparently didn't take. Given his past I think he was lucky with the sentence that he got, and the size of reduction for pleading guilty. The owner of the car he had lent (the father of a friend apparently) was almost certainly going to hand him in as the driver. Handing yourself in is one thing, pleading guilty to the inevitable once the police identify and trace you shoudn't attract such a heavy reduction.

"Judge Menary jailed Meek for three years and four months, which was reduced from five years to reflect his guilty plea."

So 60 months, reduced to 40, probably serve 20. Driving again in less than 5 years?

Contrast the Judge's comments “It is not altogether clear why this collision occurred. The most likely explanation is you simply gave him little or no room as you were overtaking him .... you attempted to squeeze through the gap.

This was very bad driving in any view"

With what appears to be rapidly becoming the default police response across the country to precisely this kind of close pass, of "we'll send 'em a warning letter"

At the very least they should send these drivers a photo of this guy sitting in his prison cell and a photo of the kid he killed along with the letter, with "this could be you" across the top.

3 chuffing year ban, that is utterly rediculous. Driving should be a priviledge based on your capacity to keep others safe, the judiciary seem to think that driving is a fundementak right for everybody, along the lines of breathing and talking.  

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Manslaughter-def...

Page 9.  Sentencing guidelines for Gross Negligence Manslaughter - which is what a driver killing someone should be.

Being convicted for death by dangerous driving should come with an automatic and permanent ban.

If not, why not?

Deep condolences to Jack's family and friends

OK, so a dangerous driver finally gets a gaol sentence, but the ban should be for life.  It's quite likely that the driver was drunk/drugged, and wanted a few days for it to clear his system.  It's all very well taking "full responsibility" when you're caught, but that should count for nothing if you didn't come forward and confess.

It was heart-breaking to read the statement of the mother, and all people taking their driving test should be made to watch videos of the relatives of people killed by drivers, and videos of recovering victims.