This Isn’t Justice

The days following the tragic news that Jamie was dead were just a blur full of tears and shock, we couldn’t believe it, none of us ate for days. Somebody called out a doctor to us, he prescribed some pills but nothing could change the fact Jamie was gone. Family and friends tried to comfort us but it was and still is a pain that just cant be cured.

There were practical issues to be dealt with. Steve, Jamie’s step-dad had to identify his sons body, accompanied by a police officer and Jamie’s aunty Kathy it was the hardest thing he had ever done. The services of Bailey and son a local funeral director were requested. The family couldn’t believe they were starting to organise Jamie’s funeral. It was a long week until we were able to see Jamie in the chapel of rest. A mass of emotions, shock, anger, disbelief, fear and sadness all at the same time. This can’t be happening.

Before the funeral phone calls had to be made. A phone call to Manchester Uni.”Jamie’s dead”. A phone call to his employer “Jamie’s dead”. A phone call to his bank “Jamie’s dead”. A call to end his phone contract “Jamie’s dead”. But still we couldn’t believe…Jamie’s dead.

Why Jamie?

The crematorium was full and overflowing with Jamie’s family and friends all feeling the same emotions, none could understand why this had happened to Jamie. . . . Why Jamie ?  Yes we had just witnessed Jamie’s funeral but we still couldn’t believe he was gone. Flowers , Jamie’s coffin a eulogy from Jamie’s closest friend Kyle. But still we couldn’t believe …… why Jamie ?

The policeman who broke the news of Jamie’s death to us P.C.Freeland, was our liaison officer. We asked him where was Jamie’s phone? The answer was that while Jamie layed dead on the road somebody had decided to steal his phone! Such heartache, you never saw Jamie without his phone, it was almost a part of him, we desperately wanted, even needed it back. Within days the police had recovered his phone and returned it to us. You wont be able to understand how a phone could bring such comfort to us, but it did.

It would have been about a week after Jamie died that Steve took a call from the police “We have some significant news, are you at home?” About half an hour passed when the now familiar face of P.C.Freeland, or Graham as we now knew him was stood in our lounge. He told us in words I will never forget,

I can tell you now Jamie did nothing wrong

The facts gradually filtered through to us as the investigation progressed. The driver of the car was a known criminal who had driven through a red light at twice the 30 M.P.H. Speed limit. Jamie didn’t stand a chance as his body was thrown with such force that he landed more than 140 feet further down the road. Nothing could be done, it was instant, Jamie was gone.

Jamie’s family attended every court hearing, starting at a Magistrates court and ending finally with the sentencing at Cambridge Crown Court. The driver of the car had continued his life of crime unaffected by the devastation that he had caused. He had pleaded not guilty to killing Jamie by dangerous driving right up until one week before the trial. Just one week before he was due to be sentenced he was breaking into a local Budgens and a local Tescos, finally caught after a high speed car chase he had to attend sentencing direct from prison as he was on remand.

This was a known criminal who had pleaded not guilty until one week before trial. He was driving at twice the speed limit. He had ignored a red traffic light.

The Judge sentenced the driver to 43 months in prison. This was a known criminal who had pleaded not guilty until one week before trial. He was driving at twice the speed limit. He had ignored a red traffic light. And the probation service were surprised at the lack of remorse he showed.

With good behavior he could be paroled after serving less than two years!

This isn’t justice.