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Just four years' jail for drink driver who killed a mum, 26
Amar Singh03.06.08
The family of a young mother killed by a drink driver spoke today of their outrage after he was given a four-year prison sentence.
Cheryl McGoldrick, 26, suffered fatal injuries when she was struck by Paul Clements, 28, who was driving at 53mph in a 30mph zone.
The insurance agent's blood-alcohol level was twice the legal drink-drive limit when he hit the mother of two in Beckenham High Street.
Despite facing a maximum sentence of 14 years, Clements was jailed for just four after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The victim's mother Maxine Mc-Goldrick said: "We're all devastated by this disgusting decision and I'm speaking to a legal adviser on whether we can appeal.
"He hit my little girl and could have killed the two friends she was with too while he was twice over the limit, yet he could be back on the road in a few years." Before sentencing Clements at Croydon crown court last week, Judge Warwick McKinnon said: "You literally mowed her down ... This was utter criminal culpability."
Mrs McGoldrick said: "The judge said he would make an example of him but he has completely let us down."
Cheryl's younger sister Danielle, 22, added: "I was hoping for at least double figures because we want to get justice for Cheryl. Is this sentence all her life was worth?"
Cheryl, who lived with partner Tom Payne and their sons Thomas, four, and Freddy, three, in Beckenham, was on a night out with friends in January when she was struck by the VW Golf being driven by Clements, also of Beckenham. She died two hours later at King's College Hospital in Camberwell.
Cathy Keeler of road safety charity Brake said: "When someone has committed an incredibly dangerous act - and being twice over the limit is incredibly careless - the public cannot understand why the criminal justice system doesn't take advantage of its full range of sentencing powers."
Reader views (16)
You guys should be glad the judges in UK respect human rights and have got their heads screwed on properly. IMHO 4 years is right. He will be out in 2 years.
It is all about culpability. The driver did not intend to kill the mother. The driver himself is probably a first time offender too. I bet he himself is stunned and sorry about the whole incident. He made a costly mistake, that is about it.
If he does drink and drive again, then go ahead and slap him with 10 or 20 years. But 4 years is enough in this case.
- Alvin, Third world asia
My youngest daughter Jennifer 31 was killed on 12th Dec 07 by a drunk, banned driver. He has not been charged and is riding around on his new scrambler enjoying himself. Jennifer was a single parent with a four month old baby which my wife and I are bring up. Another drunk driver from Camlough got four years for killing two people but the parents of one of the dead appealed and this was increased to seven years. It does not matter how many years they get it will not bring back the loved ones we have lost
- Vincent, Bessbrook Northern Ireland
Let's hope Cheryl's mother can appeal, the judge is a disgrace.
Life for a life.
The family face a life sentence while the real criminal gets 4 years and will serve 2? Disgusting. I'm sure the family would love Cheryl back in 2 years, but that is not going to happen!
- Lucy, Bromley
We place little value on victims' lives. This poor woman's son and family will suffer forever.
- R M, London, UK
Well come on then Boris what are you going to do about the justice system in the country?
I cannot believe that he only got 4 years, when Judge Warwick McKinnon handed down a 3 year sentence earlier this year to someone for perverting the cause of justice!
And to top it all because this drunk driver has been on remand he gets his sentence cut to 18 months! So in 5 years time he will be free to go out drinking with his buddies again and no doubt drive over the limit and probably the speed limit too. Let's just hope he does not kill anyone else in 6 1/2 years time!
18 months for him, a life sentence for Cheryl's boys, partner, Mother, Father, Sisters,Brother & all of her friends.
Where is the justice for that Boris and All you judges?
- Debbie Mk, London
Under government guidelines, this man will have got a discount on the term of imprisonment because he pleaded guilty. Now, as we know, people are being let out after 50% of their sentence and not 2/3rds, because of overcrowding. So in two years, he will probably be out. Not much of a deterrent is it?
- Peter, London SE16
Boris, along with all the other politicians and judiciary service will do nothing because the prisons are full of foreigners who should never have been allowed here in the first place. And anyway why should the foreign prisoners care they get fed and watered by the taxpayers of this country. This labour government are nothing but a bunch of traitors who have put all of us in peril, this crime wave and lewd behaviour is here to stay and will get much worse. We need to dump Europe and get hold of someone who is strong and fearless and not afraid to use strong arm tactics to bring the country back in line, but I think we all know this will never happen until the military are forced to show their hand.
- Stephen D., London England.
Absolutely terrible. The driver will be out in 18 months time, while the family and friends of the victim have to live with her loss forever. Where is the justice?
- Sarah Smith, Beckenham, Kent UK
I am amazed at the goodness of people who can refrain from wishing bad things would happen to a murderer when he leaves prison.
- Rich, San Angelo USA
Shocking 'judges' our government must not simply brush this type of unruly judges to continue undermining justice in our society.
- Marph, London
Why is it that when driving under the influence of a drug, a fatal motor accident is not treat as full homicide?
- Jon, london
Let this awful tragedy happen to a judge's family and see what sentence the driver gets!
- Kim Allix-Pittman, Lonodn, England
Judge Warwick McKinnon said this was "utter criminal culpability" and he would make an example of this drink driver. Then he gave him a four-year sentence. So what would merit a 14 year sentence? How does this deter mindless morons who drink and drive?
Is this another case of a judge yielding to government pressure to conserve prison places by reducing a sentence? If the driver had been sentenced to more years, he would probably have been released early for the same reason.
- Sober Pedestrian, Derby, UK
We need judges who will actually hand out stiff sentences, the judges we have now days are no good for anything.
- Kim Allix-Pittman, Lonodn, England
Whatever public assistance is to be provided to the orphan child, take it from Judge Warwick McKinnon's pension.
- Olden Atwoody, Wolford, UK
This is shocking and I want to know what Boris is going to do about it.
- Billy Blighty, Sydney Australia
