Hit-and-run victim who lost leg criticises 'appalling' sentence given to uninsured driver
Ieuan Parry also suffered a fractured skull when he was struck by the driver of a white Mitsubishi fleeing police at high speed near Ebbw Vale, South Wales.
The uninsured motorist fled the scene and Mr Parry - who had been working on the roadside of a closed lane - was left with devastating injuries and the "agony" of "phantom pain" following his amputation.
The driver - who had reached speeds of more than 130mph during the police chase - later tried to blame the incident on his ex-partner by calling 999 and falsely claiming she had stolen his vehicle, according to reports.
He was jailed for three years and four months in February 2024 after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice. It is understood he has since been released from prison.
Mr Parry - who asked Sky News not to name the motorist - said he felt "extremely frustrated" and "angry" about the driver's actions and believes he should have received a longer prison term.
"I think it's appalling to be honest with you," the 27-year-old told Sky News.
"(The sentence was) not harsh enough for the seriousness of his crime."
The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which has been supporting Mr Parry, is now calling for fines for uninsured drivers to increase from £300 to £1,200, saying the current penalty "simply isn't enough of a deterrent".
Mr Parry was 24 when he was struck by the car while working by the A465 Heads of the Valleys road near Ebbw Vale in November 2021.
Describing the incident, he said he was using a leaf blower on the roadside shortly after noon when he heard a "droning noise" and looked up to see the vehicle coming towards him at speed.
"Before I had chance to do anything or move, I was struck - hit off my feet," he said.
"That's where the nightmare started."
'Excruciating pain'
Mr Parry suffered a fractured skull and a badly broken left leg that later had to be amputated below the knee.
"(I was in) excruciating pain on the side of the road," he said.
"I remember asking: 'Is my leg okay? Will I lose my leg?'"
Despite the severity of his injuries, Mr Parry tried to reach for his phone to contact work colleagues while lying in the road.
"I was more concerned about how it had happened - because I was in a coned-off lane," he said.
"I wondered, 'would there be more cars coming behind this car?'"
Describing his feelings towards the driver, Mr Parry said: "Obviously extremely frustrated… angry.
"God forbid it never happens, but if I ever found myself in a situation where I'd injured someone, the last thing I'd be doing is thinking about fleeing from the accident."
Leg amputated
Mr Parry spent 17 days at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where he underwent surgery on five occasions.
Recalling the moment he was told his leg would have to be amputated, he said: "A lot of things went through my mind in terms of work, the relationship with my girlfriend… how everything in my life that I've worked towards thus far was going to be flipped round on its head.
"I did find that very difficult to deal with… losing your independence, not being able to go to the toilet on your own, not being able to wash yourself, not being able to do even the simplest of tasks."
Since the amputation, Mr Parry said he has dealt with the "weird sensation" of "phantom pain", which he continues to face to this day.
"It's basically the nerves that still reside in my amputated leg sending signals to the brain," he said.
"It's almost like you feel as if your amputated limb is still there and you can get various sensations, from pins and needles and numbness…. through to quite severe pain.
"It almost feels like someone's got a set of pliers on your toe and is squeezing it.
"Those sorts of pains, although they are getting better now, are still fairly frequent and they can immobilise you with agony."
'My life is never going to go back to normal'
Mr Parry has also faced feelings of anxiety over the "massive change" in his appearance and his inability to do tasks he once found "very straightforward".
He said he was "eternally grateful" for the support of his close family - particularly his partner Sophie who he married in June last year.
"There's no way on this I'd have been able to cope with it on my own," he added.
Since the collision, Mr Parry has started his own fencing and groundwork company but said: "I've come to the realisation that my life is never going to go back to normal as it was before."
He added: "I'm always going to have disadvantages and issues with mobility and completing tasks, where I would not even have thought twice about it before."
Campaign to increase uninsured driving penalties
The MIB is calling on the government to increase the current £300 fine for driving uninsured to £1,200 as part of its new five-year strategy, called Accelerating To Zero, which aims to end uninsured driving for good.
What are the penalties for driving without insurance?
Police can issue a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points to anyone caught driving a vehicle they are not insured to drive.
If the case goes to court, the penalties can increase to an unlimited fine and the culprit can be disqualified from driving.
Police also have the power to seize and, in some cases, destroy a vehicle that has been driven uninsured.
A YouGov poll of more than 2,000 people found 78% did not think a £300 fine was enough of a deterrent and three-quarters supported increasing the fine to £1,200, according to the MIB.
The MIB's chief executive Angus Eaton said uninsured drivers "wreck lives", adding: "We believe that the current penalty of £300, which hasn't changed in over 10 years, simply isn't enough of a deterrent.
"We're calling for the penalty to be raised so that it is double the average premium, to help eradicate the issue."
Mr Parry has backed the campaign, saying a fine for uninsured driving "definitely needs to be a lot more than £300".
"For the fine to be less than an average insurance premium for the year, I think it's a bit shoddy," he added.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We take uninsured driving very seriously - it is dangerous and unacceptable.
"That is why the department is considering policy options on the motoring offences as part of the Road Safety Strategy."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Rapper who threatened charity worker in music video before stabbing him to death in front of his young son at barber shop is jailed
A rapper who threatened a 'charismatic' charity worker on video before viciously murdering him in front of his young son inside a barber shop has been jailed for life. Renai Belle was driven by jealousy and rage when he stabbed his former friend Josh McKay in the neck in Leyton, east London, the Old Bailey heard. Before the fatal attack, Belle had threatened father-of-two Mr McKay, 33, in a rap video after the victim had refused to fund his career. Following an Old Bailey trial, Belle, 30, of Edmonton, north London, was found guilty of murder and possession of a knife. On Wednesday, he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years. Belle's former girlfriend Tenika Parker, 39, from Leytonstone, east London, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and possession of a knife. Judge Lynn Tayton KC jailed single mother-of-three and primary school teacher Parker for two years and three months. The court heard how Mr McKay had worked supporting young care leavers, providing them with homes and helping them into jobs. He had also helped Belle, who later became angry at his refusal to pay for the production of a rap video. On Saturday July 6 last year, Belle spotted Mr McKay going into Hollywood Cuts barber shop on Lea Bridge Road to get a hair cut with his son. The defendant fetched a knife and a balaclava and Parker drove him back to the barber's. Prosecutor Lyndon Harris said: 'Mr Belle left the vehicle, placed the balaclava over his face. 'He then entered Hollywood Cuts and attacked Mr McKay, stabbing him in the neck. 'A struggled ensued, part of which can be seen on the CCTV footage, and a melee spilled out into the street. Mr Belle exited first followed by Mr McKay. 'He then made his retreat and travelled back to Ms Parker's address and a clean-up operation ensued.' Belle took a shower and changed while Parker disposed of evidence, Mr Harris said. The court heard there was blood in the barber shop and, despite an attempt by Parker to clean up, more blood was found in the back of her car. Following a manhunt, Belle was arrested two days after the killing. During their trial, Parker admitted helping Belle with his drug dealing and allowing him to keep money in her bank account while she was working at a school. On Wednesday, Mr McKay's mother Bash Kehinde condemned the pair in the dock as she read out a victim impact statement. Addressing Belle, she said: 'You did not care that Josh was a father, a son, a grandson, a brother, an uncle and a friend to many. 'You did not care that he owed you nothing and everything he had achieved he had worked hard for. 'You do not care that you were going to kill him in cold blood in front of his son and you did not care you broke his family into a million pieces. 'Belle, you saw Josh with his son and you knew his son would witness the murder of his father. There is a special place in hell for you.' She added: 'You are literally the opposite of everything Josh stood for. You do not have his charm, his looks, his charisma, his smile, his warmth, his humour, his kindness.' She told the court that Mr McKay had helped more than 50 young men and had taken in Belle after he was released from jail, giving him money, clothes and a place to stay when he was homeless. 'You then asked Josh for more, you wanted him to fund your rap video - Josh told you he wouldn't give you the money - £1,500 - that if you were serious about being a rapper then you would work hard to make your video. 'It seems he was right not to invest his money as you are as predicted a non-entity in the rap world. But from then on you became angry with Josh. 'You sent him threats and he ignored you.' Mr McKay was the founder and director of a company providing semi independent care homes while also running a charitable enterprise helping young care leavers into employment and good quality homes. 'While you would have seen Josh as being successful, having money to buy a flash car and fancy clothes - what you would never realise is that they were the rewards of hard work and dedication to others,' his mother and business partner said. One of the young men Mr McKay had supported described him as a 'Batman' superhero, compared with Belle who grew up to become a 'monster', she said. She told the court that Mr McKay had helped more than 50 young men and had taken in Belle after he was released from jail, giving him money, clothes and a place to stay when he was homeless Ms Kehinde said 'spineless' Parker was getting a beauty treatment as she was telling Mr McKay's two children their father was dead. Mitigating for Belle, defence barrister Graham Trembath KC said the killing was 'a moment of utter madness'. Although Belle had previous convictions for 55 offences, Mr Trembath said: 'What happened in that barber shop was off the scale.' Kirsty Brimelow KC said Parker had expressed 'complete remorse' for what happened. A third defendant, Daniel Cooper, 22, from Leytonstone, pleaded guilty to possession of a blade and was jailed for 30 weeks on a previous occasion.
Sky News
30 minutes ago
- Sky News
Renai Belle jailed for murdering Josh McKay in front of his young son in Leyton barber shop
An aspiring rapper who stabbed a charity worker to death in front of his young son in a barber shop has been jailed for life. Renai Belle murdered his former friend Josh McKay, 33, in the neck after he refused to fund his career, the Old Bailey heard. The 30-year-old carried out the pre-meditated attack in Leyton, east London, on 6 July 2024. Belle spotted Mr McKay going into Hollywood Cuts on Lea Bridge Road and drove off with his former girlfriend, Tenika Parker, to get a knife and balaclava from another man, Daniel Cooper. Prosecutors said he returned to the scene, put on the face covering and stabbed the father-of-two. A struggle spilled out into the street and members of the public tried to help Mr McKay, but he couldn't be saved. The court heard Belle then headed to Parker's address to take a shower and get rid of evidence. However, he was arrested two days later following a manhunt. Traces of blood and the black sliders Belle wore for the murder were found when police pulled over Parker's car, despite her attempts to clean up the vehicle. Officers also found a YouTube video showing Belle threatening Mr McKay - who ran an enterprise helping young people leaving care get jobs and homes. The court heard he'd also helped Belle but his killer became angry and jealous when he refused to pay for a rap video. Mr McKay's mother, Bash Kehinde, said her son had helped more than 50 young men and had taken in Belle after he left prison, giving him clothes and a place to stay. Addressing him in court, she said: "You then asked Josh for more, you wanted him to fund your rap video. "Josh told you he wouldn't give you the money - £1,500 - that if you were serious about being a rapper then you would work hard to make your video." She said he became angry with her son - who ignored his threats. Ms Kehinde added: "While you would have seen Josh as being successful, having money to buy a flash car and fancy clothes - what you would never realise is that they were the rewards of hard work and dedication to others." Belle, from Edmonton, was sentenced on Wednesday to a minimum of 28 years after being found guilty of murder and knife possession last month. His ex-girlfriend Tenika Parker, a 39-year-old primary school teacher, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and knife possession. She was jailed for two years and three months. Daniel Cooper, 22, who provided the weapon and balaclava, pleaded guilty to possessing a blade and was jailed for 30 weeks on a previous occasion. Speaking outside court, Mr McKay's mother described him as a "beautiful, happy, kind, man, and an active, loving father". She also said the media's use of the term "knife crime" strips awful crimes of the "human cost" and allows people to "look away". "It's not knife crime. It's murder," she said. "And it happens to people like you and me. Innocent teenagers shot at parties, young men killed for their watches, fathers murdered while taking their son to have a haircut. "So stop calling it knife crime. Call it what it is. Call it murder. And start acting like it matters."
BBC News
34 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man has conviction for Wilden murder quashed for second time
A man who was twice found guilty of a woman's murder has had his conviction quashed for a second time at the Court of Plummer was jailed in 1998 after a jury found he had fatally attacked Janice Cartwright-Gilbert at the building site of her future home near Wilden, Bedfordshire, the previous Cartwright-Gilbert, 38, was stabbed with a knife and scissors before her body was set alight in a caravan next to the building Plummer, who was 24 at the time of her death, had his first murder conviction quashed in 2021, but was convicted again following a retrial at Aylesbury Crown Court in 2023 and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years. Mr Plummer's barristers challenged his second conviction at the Court of Appeal earlier this month, claiming the trial judge was wrong to allow hearsay evidence to be presented to the jury from a police informant, Christopher had shared a cell with Mr Plummer before his first conviction and claimed he had confessed to the murder, but the "cell confession" was not used in the first trial, and Dunne died in a ruling on Wednesday, three senior judges quashed Mr Plummer's second conviction, stating that Dunne's claims "should have been withdrawn from the jury". Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mrs Justice McGowan and Judge Nigel Lickley KC, said: "Dunne was a criminal and paid police informant who was in the habit of passing information to the police about other criminals for his own benefit."He continued: "The circumstances of the suggested confession to murder and the reliability of the informant are such as to raise concerns about it."He added: "He gave no detail of the murder which could support its reliability." Mr Plummer had his first murder conviction quashed after it was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission due to concerns over expert Plummer had admitted to burglary, but denied murder and that he had ever given a confession. Account discrepancies At a hearing on 15 July, Katy Thorne KC, for Mr Plummer, said that Dunne's evidence "should never have been admitted" and that the trial judge "failed to properly consider" the evidence had "inherent potential unreliability".She also said records showed a payment had been made to Dunne at the time he provided evidence to the police, but "there has never been any explanation given by anyone" for what it was did not ask to speak to police about the alleged confession until August 1997, and gave a differing account that Justice Edis said there were "discrepancies and matters that cannot in fact be correct" in Dunne's accounts, which also did not provide "any account of the killing".He continued the retrial "should have been stopped" after the jury had heard the evidence, and the judge's "failure to do that clearly therefore renders the conviction unsafe".The Crown Prosecution Service, which opposed the appeal, said: "Having carefully considered the judgement, it is not possible for the prosecution to seek a further retrial as the remaining evidence, without the cell confession, would not provide a realistic prospect of conviction." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
