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Family fury at killer's early release
The devastated girlfriend and father of road crash victim Daryl Bridge have slammed his killer's early release from behind bars.
Daryl's life was cut short at the age of 19 on October 27 last year when he was hit by a car as he was walking along the road to get help after his own car had broken down.
Disqualified driver Mathiew Cannon of Mill Lane, Campton, pleaded guilty to causing death while disqualified and to causing death while having no insurance.
The 20-year-old was sentenced to 15 months in a young offenders institution, but this month he was released after serving just 61/2 months of his term behind bars.
He was the first banned driver in the country to be sent to jail for causing death while disqualified.
Heartbroken girlfriend Lelani Vass, 16, of Flitwick, is now intending to write to her MP and is arranging a petition to get a footpath and lights installed along Shillington Road where Daryl died.
His dad Sean, who lived with his son in Jubilee Close, Lower Stondon, said: "I think it's just an absolute disgrace, it just feels like he has been given a slap on the hand. It's just like he's been told off and then told to get on with his life, while we have to deal with this for the rest of our lives."
The 42-year-old also slammed the fact that Cannon will be free to drive again in just two years.
He added: "This is something I will never ever get over. It has crushed my life, his mother's, Lelani's, his brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles.
"I just think that someone needs to rethink the whole system, If he is sentenced to two years he should serve two years whether he's been good in there or not."
Just 11 days before Daryl was killed, Cannon had been arrested and bailed by police for driving while disqualified and having no insurance. He had also been in trouble with the law around half a dozen times over the previous three years for motoring offences.
Miss Vass, who met Daryl through friends several months before he died, has described her life as absolute 'hell' since the accident.
She has only taken five of her GCSE examinations, and has only just returned to school on a part-time basis.
Her mum Lorraine said: "We're not doing this out of revenge, it's because Daryl can't speak for himself any more.
"There is nobody to fight for him so that's what we're doing."
Mr Bridge added: "If there is somebody who is reading this and is driving out there with no insurance or has been banned, then please don't get in a car.
"If me speaking out can stop somebody out there getting in a car when they shouldn't be and ruining another family's life then it has been worthwhile."
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Monday 13 February 2012
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