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Hit-and-run killer freed
Friday 14th September 2007, 12:16AM BST.
His actions led to the death of a popular seven-year-old boy. But today, unlicensed hit-and-run driver Martin Clifford was again a free man.Three appeal court judges overturned the two year sentence handed to him for running over Keilyn Kerr, of Woodcross Lane, Woodcross, in October, reducing the term to six months. Having already served just over half that, 43-year-old Clifford, of Dartmouth Crescent, Bilston, was able to immediately return to his former life.
Clifford, who owned the vehicle jointly with his wife but did not have a full licence, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking at Wolverhampton Crown Court in April.
He was jailed for two years, but yesterday, in a hearing at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, Lord Justice Maurice Kay, Mr Justice Jack and Mr Justice Simon, cut the sentence to six months.
Mr Justice Simon said that, although he had taken the car without his wife’s consent, the boy’s death had been an accident which Clifford could not have avoided. Clifford, who has a motorcycle licence and experience of fork-lift trucks, took the car for a drive after becoming upset on October 1.
But tragedy struck when seven-year-old Keilyn, a pupil at Hurst Hill Primary School, Coseley, stepped from behind a parked car in Childs Avenue, Woodcross, in Wolverhampton.
Witnesses said there was no way that Clifford could have seen the boy or that he was driving badly or speeding.
But Clifford failed to stop and drove home, before going to a police station to tell officers he thought he had hit something.
Today his lawyers appeared at the Appeal Court to argue that the sentence imposed was “manifestly excessive” on the grounds that there had been no aggravating factors in the offence.
Allowing the appeal, Mr Justice Simon said: “Having considered all the submissions, we have concluded that the sentence of two years immediate imprisonment was too long by a factor which entitles this court to intervene.
“We make no criticism of the recorder, who faced a very difficult sentencing exercise. “No sentence will be adequate to reflect the loss of a child.”
By Nick Pritchard
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We make no criticism of the recorder, who faced a very difficult sentencing exercise!!!
My god,he killed a child.
An accident..no.
He has no licence,no experience on the road as a car driver.A motorbike handles totally different,and just because he swings a stolly about does NOT give him the right to be behind the wheel of a car!
Why any one takes a driving test ,pays insurance is beyond me!
Lets all do as he has,and tell the police when we kill some one..”im sorry but i hold a cycling proficency certificate!
A joke at the hands of british justice!!
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Yet another example of the dire British justice system. This man left a seven year old boy to die!!! Are they ignoring that fact? Does he have children of his own? Probably not, but I don’t and I would never do such a callous thing. That poor child. His family must be devastated. There is no deterrent for driving without a licence, or insurance, and we wonder why so many people do it.
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With regard to Stafford ex Mil comments “Witnesses said there was no way that Clifford could have seen the boy or that he was driving badly or speeding”, why let the facts get in the way of moral indignation!
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With the regard to to Stafford ex Mil’s comments “Witnesses said there was no way that Clifford could have seen the boy or that he was driving badly or speeding.”
So if my argument after killing someone was “im sorry but i hold a cycling proficency certificate” BUT my lack of ability caused the accident I think the courts would take a different line!!
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Do you think that this was the first time this guy drove this car. DON’T THINK SO………….
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the fact that he appealed against a horrific event that he caused, shows he has no remorse. what kind of justice system do we have here in uk now ?? i’m disgusted. why is the law always on the side of the criminal ?
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i agree the british justice system is an absolute joke .all the rights lie with the criminals as i experienced.its a complete an utter discrace .
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3 month sentance? you’ll get longer for not paying your council tax
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Jimbo is he your brother or something? Try telling the parents of this kid your side of the argument. You sound like another typical good do-er. He has ruined lives and is only sorry he got caught.
Too many people think its ok not to pass tests, tax mot and insure cars. Examples need to be set to warn others.
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This man(and I use this term lightly as what I want to call him is not printable) had no licence and decided he wanted to go for a little drive. He drove past a school and hit a 7 year old child yes a 7 year old some poor familys baby and could not even be bothered to stop killing him. He could not of avoided the accident Justice Simon said erm isnt the fact of not legaly being able to be behind the wheel a small factor in trying to avoid the accident.Yes Martin Clifford you go back to your life (yes you still have one) whilst the parents of the boy suffer every single day of their lives. At the very end justice Simon said that “no sentence will be adequate to reflect the loss of a child” thats exactly what this coward of a so called man got NO SENTENCE!!!!!!!!!1
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Jimbo..witnesses didnt know he had NO LICENCE!!
The law of this land states..to drive a car you need to be proficent in its use and the dangers that the road holds.One of them being YOUNG CHILDREN!!!
A child plays and they do misbehave around cars thats something that experienced drivers would be prepared for.
Lets just pray Jimbo that this moron doesnt ever get behind a car wheel again and be in the same street as any of your children or loved ones,because lightening does strike more than twice mate…and he will be reoffending again as he was given no punishment so he has nothing to fear,as witnesses always know the truth!
Beisde which..how dare he even consider that he has the god given right to appeal about killing a child…appalling..that shows jimbo he has no remorse,and he thought his actions were justified!
WRONG JIMBO…..SO VERY WRONG MATE!
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So if my house burnt down and I didn’t have insurance, does that mean I’d get a payout if the fire was an unavoidable accident? Fact is if he obeyed the law he wouldn’t have been there to hit the child!!!
Also he fled the scene, maybe if he’d got out of the car he could have helped save the boy!
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That man should have his face bill boarded on any spare wall in Bilston and surrounding areas.
The plain fact of the matter is HE IS A CHILD KILLER.
He will always be a menace to society and he has proven that.
Jimbo must be working on commission unless hes an unlicenced driver who thinks he drives better than anyone else and thinks his behaviour is just!
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It makes you SICK !!
Whether it was an accident or not he killed a child ,the fact is that he was driving a car when he should not have been and because of this a child got killed. He should not be let out just after 3 months … is that all a childs life is worth 3 months !!
This sends out the wrong message to these idiots who think it’s OK to drive around with no Insurance, Tax or even a driving licence.
He will be able to get on with his life as normal the parents of Keilyn will be living a life sentence , they will not get the opportunity to have their sentence reduced they have to live each and every day without the son.
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I’m currently taking driving lessons and one of the major things that I have learnt, which may of avoided or at least lessoned injuries to the poor child, is the emergancy stop. As this person has no licence and probably no intention of ever getting one, then obviously he wouldn’t know this potentially life saving maneuver. People like him need to be stopped and sufficiently penalised. One wonders how he would feel if someone did the same to his child under the same circumstances and how he would feel if they got exactly the same sentance as he did. My thoughts and prayers go out to the poor boys family
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Everyone has a duty to obey the law of the land, had this scum carried out that duty he would not have been driving a car along that stretch of road, had he obeyed that duty the car he was driving would not have come into contact with that child, end of argument, he was guilty of causing the death of a child.
Now another point to get people thinking, this guy walked free after being the cause of the death of this little child, Ronnie Biggs got 30 years for robbing a train, so this just shows how British Law values money more than a child’s life, what a sick society.
Jim of Bearwood
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