Burglar jailed over scout master's death
A paraplegic who killed a West Midlands scout master by mowing him down in his car has been jailed for nine years after being extradited to face court proceedings.
The judge told the family of Charles Tandy, of Streetly, that he understood they would be shocked at the "inadequacy" of the sentence handed to Jason Brady, pictured.
The 28-year-old of Tallaght, Dublin, drove a stolen car over Mr Tandy as he tried to stop him escaping from the scene of a burglary at the EEF Technology Centre, in Birmingham, seven years ago.
The 56-year-old electrician, of Blackwood Drive, Streetly, died in hospital, leaving widow Kathleen.
Brady fled to Ireland but was brought back to Britain in January last year to face a murder trial.
Following at two-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, a jury found him not guilty of murder and he was sentenced yesterday for assault, burglary and manslaughter, which he had admitted.
His Honour Judge William Davis QC sentenced Brady to nine years for manslaughter, three years for assault and one year for burglary.
The sentences will run concurrently and "cannot begin to reflect the loss of Mr Tandy to his family", he said.
The judge, who offered his condolences to Mr Tandy's widow and children in the public gallery, added: "It may be that they will leave this court shocked at the length of the sentence in terms of its inadequacy."
Addressing the family directly he said: "I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of Mr Tandy.
"There is nothing I can say that will bring him back but you must understand that we understand your grief."
Earlier in the trial, jurors heard Brady, who is confined to a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident in 2006, accepted he was at the wheel of the car, but denied intending to kill.
Mr Michael Burrows QC, prosecuting, said Brady was chased into a car park after being challenged as he stole a laptop computer at the site in Reddings Lane, Tyseley.
Mr Burrows said Brady got into a car and reversed it, knocking Mr Tandy, a training instructor at the centre, and another member of staff to the ground.
The judge told Tandy: "Your response to all of that was to run away to Ireland."
