Yahoo News Plymouth driver who killed mum-of-three could see 'unduly lenient' sentence increased
A dangerous driver from Plymouth has had his sentence referred to the Attorney General's Office for a potential increase. Harry Lock, of Shortwood Crescent, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after causing the death of a mother-of-three, when his car hit and fatally injured her.
Maria Perez-Gonzalez was crossing the road in Western Way, Exeter, in August 2021 when she was hit by Lock. The Attorney General will now consider if Lock's sentence was too lenient, as reports DevonLive.
At a hearing in Exeter last month, the 24-year-old admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison with a two-year disqualification.
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Maria's heartbroken family said the sentence had left them "speechless". A request has now been made to the Attorney General's Office under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. It is currently under consideration. If the sentence is considered unduly lenient, the Court of Appeal can be asked to review it and may increase it.
Lock left an Exeter pub on the evening of 7 August 2021 and was heading home to Plymouth alongside a front-seat passenger at the time of the collision. The court heard that he briefly stopped his BMW 4 Series to retrieve canisters of nitrous oxide from the boot.
He was inhaling the gas as he drove through a red light and hit Miss Perez-Gonzalez while she crossed Western Way on her bicycle, the judge was told.
Lock had ignored requests from his passenger to stop consuming the substance. Fifty-three-year-old Miss Perez-Gonzalez, a healthcare assistant, died in hospital from her injuries two days later.
Her son Edgar Perez later told DevonLive: "I was speechless. I had prepared myself mentally and emotionally for the outcome of the case. I was aware no sentencing would seem sufficient or appropriate.
"I was also aware that Harry Lock would be receiving a decrease in sentencing for declaring himself guilty of all charges. The lawyers and detectives worked themselves endlessly to collect all the evidence and created a great case to confirm every fact presented the day of sentencing.
"I had hopes in the system and believed that her life would serve as an example to other drivers. That it would shed light to the cyclists in the town of Exeter that suffered similar accidents and show how vulnerable pedestrians are. However, after the sentencing it was clear that our lives are worthless.
"As my brother Christopher stated, 'The fact that an individual can recklessly cause the death of a beloved family member, using illegal substances behind the wheel and ultimately receive less than two years in prison seems entirely unjust to me.
"I don't believe this sentencing and the culmination of the process actually serves as a positive reflection of the judicial system. This individual will spend less time in prison than we had to wait to get to this point'."
Anyone can ask for someone's crown court sentence to be reviewed if they think it's too low. The Attorney General's Office can review very low sentences in serious cases such as murder or causing death by dangerous driving.
The Court of Appeal may decide that the sentence should stay the same, is unreasonably low (unduly lenient) and may increase it or refuse to hear the case.
