Parents of teenage girl Tehleigher Bunting killed by drug-driver call for increased jail term
The parents of a teenage girl who was killed by an unlicensed speeding driver while he was under the influence of drugs are calling for his sentence to be increased.
Tehleigher Bunting, 14, from Leicester, died at the scene while the other girl, also aged 14, suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Tehleigher's mother, Zoe Denton, told ITV News Central she doesn't feel like her daughter "has had any justice that she deserves."
CCTV footage obtained by detectives showed that the driver, 38-year-old Aaron Carter, had overtaken another vehicle in a dangerous manoeuvre just moments before the collision on 26 October 2022.
He was jailed for nine years following the fatal crash.
A judge has now told him he'll serve half of his sentence in prison and the rest on licence.
The family has since written to the Attorney General's Office and asked for the sentence to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
Ms Denton said: "I have to live with the loss of my daughter everyday. It doesn't get any easier.
"I think if he comes out, because he should've surrendered his license to the DVLA and he never did, he's just going to get back in a car - I think - when he comes out anyway and he'll end up killing somebody else."
Mum says she doesn't feel like her daughter 'has had any justice that she deserves'
Tehleigher's step-father, Shane Patterson, said he was "disheartened" by the legal process.
He said: "What does he get? A slap on the wrist? 'Please don't do it again?' That's how we feel it, we feel it is disheartening to say the least."
Mr Patterson added: "He was told by his doctor and his specialist to surrender his license and he didn't do that.
"He totally went against all medical advice and he carried on driving and then on top of that with the speeding, the drugs in his system, just disgusting...he totally disregarded the law and the rules of the road."
Carter's actions were 'just disgusting...he totally disregarded the law'
Carter, of Aikman Avenue in Leicester, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at court in October last year.
He was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday 10 February.
It had also been discovered that Carter had previously been advised to stop driving by healthcare professionals on more than one occasion, due to a medical condition.
He has now been disqualified from driving for life due to his medical condition.
The Sentencing Council, which aims to ensure sentences are consistent across courts, says although the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving has been increased to up to life in prison, judges had to consider what was required in the interests of justice.
What is the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme?
You can ask for someone’s Crown Court sentence to be reviewed if you think it’s too low.
The process is carried out by the Attorney General’s Office. It only applies to serious crimes like murder, rape and terror-related offences.
Your request has to be submitted within 28 days of the sentence being handed down. It will then be decided if the request will be sent to the Court of Appeal.
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