'He left them for dead': Michael Radford jailed for killing Kerry Ockelton in east Hull hit-and-run
THE family of a charity worker killed by a drunken hit-and-run driver say they hope he suffers a life of misery.
Michael Radford, 24, has been jailed for six years for killing Kerry Ockelton in east Hull.
-
Drink-driver Michael Radford hit Kerry Ockleton and her daughter Jessica in Saltshouse Road, east Hull
He was drink-driving at high speeds when he stuck Ms Ockelton, 41, and her daughter Jessica, 15, as they crossed the road. He left Ms Ockelton dying in the road and her daughter seriously injured, fleeing the scene without calling an ambulance after causing the accident at 12.45am on July 1.
Instead, police had to follow a trail of debris from his car to his home before they could arrest him.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, June 30 2013
Ms Ockelton's brother Kevin, 46, told the Mail, on behalf of the family, they believed Radford would only serve half of his six-year sentence in prison.
He said: "At no point has Radford ever shown any remorse to us. He left Jessica unconscious on the side of the road to wake and find her mother dead.
"He never called an ambulance and tried to get away with it. In our eyes, he will serve three years for murder and attempted murder.
"My parents had to bury their daughter and she will never share the memories of her children growing up. We are all devastated.
"Our only wish is that Michael Radford has a life of misery because this is something we will never get over.
"She was a wonderful mother who loved life and it has been taken away from her. All she ever did was help other people.
"We would like to thank the police for their sincerity and humanity with which they have dealt with this case."
Radford was driving at speeds of up to 80mph and was twice the drink-drive limit when he knocked down the mother and daughter in Saltshouse Road.
He had been drinking lager at a party and when he got in the car, his friends begged him to slow down.
However, he told them: "I have had a few cans – I can't."
He then turned the music up before ploughing into Ms Ockelton and her daughter seconds later.
After the crash, he said: "I need to get away from the car and the cameras".
Jessica suffered multiple fractures was left unconscious near the side of the road until a taxi driver came to her aid. She spent ten days in hospital.
Her mother died at the scene.
Prosecutor Simon Waley said: "He was driving at speeds well in excess of the speed limit during the course of the journey.
"There is no evidence to suggest there was any attempt made to brake or steer away.
"After the collision, in which substantial damage was caused to the car, he didn't stop or make any subsequent report."
Ms Ockelton was a volunteer at charity Mind and worked for the Samaritans in the city. She had just qualified as a counsellor and was due to attend her first job interview.
Radford, formerly of Sykes Street, Hull, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit, failing to report an accident and failing to stop.
Radford's barrister John Thackray said: "Had he not been speeding, he would have been able to stop in time and he accepts that. He is genuinely remorseful."
Sending Radford to prison, Judge Michael Mettyear told Radford he had to be punished.
"A clear message needs to go out from the court that people who drink and drive and, as a result, kill people go to prison and that is your fate," the judge said.
"Had there been clear remorse, you would have stopped straight away but you carried on and you failed to report it.
"You were wanting to get away with it."
Radford has been banned from driving for five years and has been ordered to take an extended retest before getting back behind the wheel.
36 Comments
View all
by billywhite
Monday, March 11 2013, 12:23PM
“when he gets out in 3 yrs half his sentence i no ppl wont forget
i am friends with her brother this has destroyed a family condolences to the family pay backs a ***** !!!”
by Kinnison
Sunday, March 10 2013, 10:43PM
“No, thesnooper - that's called a lynching, and not really the sort of vigilante action we'd like to see on our streets - or it could be your neck in the noose next time for something stupid that you did or did not do.”
by thesnooper
Sunday, March 10 2013, 8:52PM
“all thats needed is a rope with a noose and some gallows = justice”
by valencian
Sunday, March 10 2013, 8:39PM
“Kinnison it is true that the actual speed is probably a best guess and they do have some sophticated ways of working out. The point I failed to make is that reporters like to sensationalise their stories including facts that make the position worse and failing to mention those that do the opposite.In this case they have mentioned her travelled at speeds of up to 80mph. I don´t know if there was an estimated speed at the accident but if there was it has not been reported. The impression given is that the accident occurred at a high speed. Successive governments have attempted to changed the laws to try and make the sentence fit the crime and they have all failed. I have no sympathy with those who get in a car while unfit through drink or drugs or those that drive at high speed in built up areas. I do though have some sympathy with those that kill as a result of careless errors. Some crimes deserve a longer sentence including this one. It was interesting to read in another story that the Judge felt his hands were tied in a different case and wanted a longer maximum sentence.”
by Kinnison
Sunday, March 10 2013, 4:16PM
“Valenian - you are correct in almost everything you said - the judge does have to apply guidelines - and he can't control them.
I'd disagree with you on the speed the assailant was going at the time of the incident - that surely can't be known, only guessed at.
And surely the main point here is that this government aren't willing to pay for more prisons - indeed they're doing the opposite and reducing prison places - so the judges have no option but to reduce prison sentences or change them altogether to community sentences. That is the absolute fact.”
by David_Nivea
Sunday, March 10 2013, 12:32PM
“"Radford has been banned from driving for five years and has been ordered to take an extended retest before getting back behind the wheel."
That he can even be considered to be a driver again in the future is beyond understanding.”
by valencian
Sunday, March 10 2013, 10:21AM
“These types of cases are perhaps some of the most emotive to appear in our courts and attract the most comments in these columns. I agree that 6 years on the face of it appears lenient and I know despite what one person has written that Judge Mettyear is no soft touch. Many write of ignorance of how the system works. A Judge when sentencing has to adhere to sentencing guidelines which are passed down by our most senior Judges. They have to apply the facts to those guidelines and they have the true facts to hand for example what speed was he doing when the accident occurred? This report states up to 80mph but the Judge will know the actual speed. He is given a starting point from which he can go up and down depending on the circumstances. The starting point for this type of offence is 4 years possibly 5 depending on factors not included in this report. It shows what the Judge thought if he increased the starting point by 50%. There would be no point giving a sentence that would just be overturned in the Court of Appeal. If you believe that this was lenient as I do it is because the guidelines are lenient which is not the fault of this Judge. I have no sympathy for the defendant live will not be easy for him nor should it be. My sympathy is with the family of the deceased. Today is Mothers day and perhaps we should give a little though for the Mother who will not receive a gift today and the family who grieve her.”
by hullbloke81_
Saturday, March 09 2013, 10:39PM
“Hitting any one at any speed isnt good but to leave the scene as well is adding insult to injury,even if he wasnt doing 80mph he was still going fast enough to leave some one dead at the side of the road and another seriousley injured. Wether he was over the legal limit or not the fact he left two people to die should of warrented a longer sentence, the simple fact is he did wrong in such a bad way but tried to get away with it. Not matter what any one thinks their is one lady dead and her daughter injured, that family will suffer the thoughts of such an avoidable tragedy whilst radford does his time (and proberbly only three years of it ) then rejoins society,he should at least serve the full six years. The trouble is i feel this type of thing will continue amongst the young (and older)as they see drink driving as acceptable.It will all ways be the family left behind on both sides to pick up the pieces of such an ordeal ,one family coming to terms with the death and the other the after math of a family member causing such a tragedy either way both families suffer, hopefully some lessons will be learnt by this very sorry incident.”
by nickww4
Saturday, March 09 2013, 7:45PM
“R.I.P to the lady in question, condolences to the family. They shouldn't allow comments under articles like this, it just brings out all the low-life venting trolls who bring shame on the area with their stupidity”
by tots62
Saturday, March 09 2013, 5:24PM
“THE JUDGE SHOULD BE LOCKED UP”