Ellie Jackson
A Blandford man has been handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence for causing the death of a 16-year-old girl in a fatal road collision in Shaftesbury.
Kieran Marshall, 21, was sentenced at Dorchester Crown Court today, Monday 5 October, after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving at a previous hearing.
He was handed an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years, disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £670 in court costs.
The court heard the collision happened at 11.22pm on Monday 30 June 2014 when Marshall was driving his silver Volkswagen Polo on the A30 Sherborne Causeway near to Lower Duncliffe Farm in Shaftesbury. Marshall lost control of his vehicle on a left-hand bend. The car left the road and collided with a grass bank and hedge before coming to rest on the carriageway. Marshall was able to escape the wreckage but his front seat passenger, 16-year-old Ellie Jackson, was trapped. She was freed by firefighters and taken to hospital. She sadly died from her injuries a few days later.
Speaking after the case, Police Sergeant Joe Pardey, of Dorset Police’s Traffic Unit, said: “This was a tragic case.
“No sentence passed will ever be enough to justify the loss of a life. However, this highlights the significant responsibility that drivers, especially new drivers, have when they get behind the wheel. While some drivers may find driving at speed exhilarating, this enjoyment can lead to tragedy. Ellie Jackson lost her life because of an act of careless driving that could and should have been avoided.”
