Teen jailed for killing grandfather in Shirley crash

Stephen Beckett was killed in a collision when a teenager ‘floored’ a £105,000 Range Rover – hitting speeds of 81mph.

Mr Beckett was just two days from his 60th birthday when Kirpal Singh Sokhi ploughed the 4×4 into the grandfather’s car in Bills Lane, Shirley.

The 19-year-old had taken the Range Rover on 17th August last year without the permission of his dad – who had been testing the car for Land Rover.

Birmingham Crown Court heard Sokhi ignored speed humps on Bills Lane and kept the accelerator pedal to the floor until a crash was inevitable.

Stephen Beckett was killed and a nine-year-old passenger seriously injured.

The automotive design student, of Tetley Road, Hall Green, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving without any insurance.

He was jailed for five years and disqualified from driving for six years, he will then have to sit an extended retest.

Judge Michael Burbidge QC said: “You decided I am sure to put it through its paces, foot to the floor with inevitable consequence of massive speed.

“You reached speeds of 80mph.

“It was a relatively short journey but was bound to have devastating consequences.

“You did not intend to kill anyone and you did not intend to injure anyone but that was the inevitable consequence of your foolhardy act.

“No sentence I can pass can bring Stephen Beckett back to his family, no sentence I can pass can represent the taking of a life.”

Sergeant Adam Green, from the Regional Collision Investigation Unit said: “Kirpal Sokhi chose to take and drive the Range Rover at a speed which showed a complete disregard for his passenger and other road users.

“The speed at which he drove exceeded even that permissible on a motorway. He chose to do this on a residential street, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, at a time when it was inevitable that young children and families would be using the road.

“Tragically, Mr Beckett and his family suffered the consequences of Sokhi’s actions and they will now have to live with what he has done for the rest of their lives.

“Speed limits are in place for a reason and whilst the speed at which Sokhi decided to drive at was far in excess of the limit, this incident, along with many others, shows the devastating consequences of driving at excessive speed.

“My thoughts remain with the family of Mr Beckett following their tragic loss. His family have asked that their privacy is respected at what is an extremely difficult time.”

The family of Mr Beckett have expressed their gratitude to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the emergency services who attended the collision and everyone who made donations to the family.

Read more: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/hall-green-teen-jailed-killing-8517258 and http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/latest-news/news.aspx?id=2405