Family of Derby teenager killed by a hit-and-run driver furious he is to appeal his driving ban

The parents of a 17-year-old girl who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Derbyshire are furious he is to appeal his driving ban.

Lisa and Martin Birks said they hoped their never-ending nightmare of the past eight months might have shown some signs of ending since they tragically lost their daughter Keely in November last year.

But now they have found out that Peter Petrie, who caused the death of the former Derby Pride Academy pupil, will try and have his 15-year driving disqualification overturned at the Court of Appeal in London.

Paying tribute to their daughter, the couple revealed on the night she died, she saved the life of her friend.

Keely and her friend, also called Keeley, were crossing Harvey Road at around 8pm on the 20th November when banned driver, Petrie's speeding car approached.

Keely seeing the danger instantly pushed her friend out of the way, only to be hit by Petrie's car herself. Petrie struck Keely with such force at 75mph he sent her body flying through the air, killing her instantly.

After causing her death, he then fled the scene, abandoned his car, disposed of his clothes and hid at a friend's house, before being found cowering behind a door just over 24 hours later.

Lisa, 43 of Victory Road, Allenton said: "I am angry with him, in fact I am beyond angry with him. Devastated does not even cut it, it has destroyed me, I died the day Keely died.

"I don't sleep and each day is getting harder, not easier. I won't do anything because I don't want to make any more memories without her.

"None of the family can believe he even has a right to appeal let alone be granted one. How does that show he is even remotely sorry for his actions?"

Petrie, 28 and of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

He was jailed for six years and handed a 15-year driving ban but this week is scheduled to appear in court for his appeal.

Her father, Martin, 46 said: "On that night, when she was crossing the road, she threw her friend out of the way and away from the danger.

"It would have been both of them if it had not been for Keely, he would have killed two people that night and that's why we call her 'our hero'.

"Her friend just keeps saying to us 'she's my hero, she's my hero'.

"Our Keely would not even have thought twice about what she did that night and that was the mark of the sort of amazing person she was."

He added: "Petrie was jailed for six years and got a 15-year driving ban but we think it should have been the other way round."

Lisa said Keely was family-obsessed, spending all of her time with her six brothers, sister, parents, niece, nephew and extended family.

She said she loved nothing more than being around the people she cared for the most.Lisa said after finishing school, her daughter had started studying at college while working as a carer.

She said: "She wanted to be an end-of-life carer for children, that was her end goal, that was her dream, she got pleasure in the simple things in life like her family. She just wanted to be around you and people wanted to be around her."

On the day Petrie was jailed, a number of victim impact statements were read to Derby Crown Court.

One of them, made by Keely's sister, Kisha read: "Why did you carry on driving? why did you not stop to help her?" And another, from her older brother Ashdan: "You have ruined a family and broken hundreds of hearts.

"You killed my baby sister and then hid away like a coward. She should still be here making memories."

A spokesman for the judicial office at the Royal Courts of Justice confirmed that Petrie's full appeal is scheduled to take place on Thursday.