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Drink-drive killer's jail term 'unfair'
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| Laila Salahzahi |
A drink-driver from Hendon who killed an Edgware woman and seriously injured her sister has been jailed for 16 months.
Lee Barkworth, 22, of Riverside, pleaded guilty in December to causing death by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol following the death of 23-year-old Laila Salahzahi on April 28.
Mrs Salahzahi, of Deansbrook Road, Edgware, suffered serious head injuries in the crash, which happened yards from her parents' home in Watling Avenue, Burnt Oak. She was travelling with her husband Afshin and eight-year-old sister Sara to her brother's 21st birthday party.
Speaking after the sentencing, Mrs Salahzahi's mother, Farzaneh Saleh-zehi, 44, said: "It's not fair. He the judge said he Barkworth was young, but Laila was young as well. What about me? Can they bring me back my daughter? I wish she was in hospital for 16 months and then coming home."
Mrs Salahzahi was thrown from her Vauxhall Corsa when it was hit by Barkworth's Volkswagen Golf at around 8pm. She was taken to the Royal Free hospital, in Hampstead, but died the next morning.
Her sister, now nine, suffered a broken leg, arm, jaw and pelvis and had to have plastic surgery on her face. She is still undergoing
physiotherapy.
On the night of the crash, Barkworth, a car parts specialist, went to a pub with his boss after work. Despite saying he intended to have one drink, he met a friend and drank three pints of lager.
While driving home, his car radio changed frequency and as he tried to re-tune it, he crashed into Mrs Salahzahi's car.
Tests showed both were travelling at about 30mph. Barkworth, who has a six-month-old son, was 8mg over the legal blood alcohol limit for driving, which is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.
Mrs Salahzahi, who had been married for almost two years, worked as an assistant for children with special needs at Northway Primary School, in The Fairway, Mill Hill. On the day she died she was given a place to study for a PhD in psychology at Roehampton University.
Handing out the 16-month sentence at Harrow Crown Court, Judge Ronald Moss said: "Nothing I do, nothing I say, no sentence I can possibly give can reflect in terms of years or months the loss which you the family live with.
"You Barkworth were over the limit for allowable consumption of alcohol, although not too much I accept. It's towards the lower end but you had three pints of lager and then got in the car and drove.
"You weren't concentrating on the road. You were fiddling with the radio. One person was killed and another, a child, was seriously injured.
"You pleaded guilty at an early stage and expressed remorse. But I have to sentence according to the law and according to precedent."
Barkworth, who has previously received two fixed-penalty notices for threatening behaviour, was disqu-alified from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended driving test.
Mrs Salahzahi's mother, a foster carer, said: "Every single night we are closing our eyes and screaming and crying. Every day we come out of the door and we see her lying on the floor.
Mrs Salahzahi's sister Asieh, 23, added: "The past nine months have been a nightmare for my family and now it feels like we're grieving from the beginning."
Police Sergeant Geoff Harper, senior investigating officer for the case, said: "We can never replace a loved one, however it sends out the right message that drinking and driving is simply not acceptable. If you're going to drink, don't drive."
9:20pm Wednesday 23rd January 2008
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CommentPosted by: Gary, Finchley on 10:35pm Wed 23 Jan 08
What a pathetic sentence. This poor lady's family have had their lives ruined, and yet by the end of this year he will be out of jail. What has this country's justice system come to?
My thoughts are with Laila's poor husband and family.
What a pathetic sentence. This poor lady's family have had their lives ruined, and yet by the end of this year he will be out of jail. What has this country's justice system come to?
My thoughts are with Laila's poor husband and family.
Posted by: asieh salehzehi, london on 10:40pm Wed 23 Jan 08
Rest in peace laily, my beautifull sister, my best friend.
I miss you soo much sis, your always in my heart, my mind and my soul and im so lucky and truely blessed to have had you as my big sis.
Till the day we meet again,love always your lil sis.****
Rest in peace laily, my beautifull sister, my best friend.
I miss you soo much sis, your always in my heart, my mind and my soul and im so lucky and truely blessed to have had you as my big sis.
Till the day we meet again,love always your lil sis.****
Posted by: Jim, Bushey on 11:03pm Wed 23 Jan 08
What a dispicable sentence. This moron should have had at least 8 years not the 8 months he'll serve of his sentence. I hope he gets a new identity when he comes out or people might be looking for him.
What a dispicable sentence. This moron should have had at least 8 years not the 8 months he'll serve of his sentence. I hope he gets a new identity when he comes out or people might be looking for him.
Posted by: nicola, barnet on 9:17am Thu 24 Jan 08
this makes me feel sick to my stomache hearing something so bad how could he get such a small sentance the law has changed alot giving people like that driver a small sentance for a young persons living, he will be a sorry man by alot of people he has hurt alot of loves ones shes left all her family behind, my hear goes out to all her family i no how it feels for some who you love aand is close 2 you, just to lose them like that it hurts very much, just support one another.
this makes me feel sick to my stomache hearing something so bad how could he get such a small sentance the law has changed alot giving people like that driver a small sentance for a young persons living, he will be a sorry man by alot of people he has hurt alot of loves ones shes left all her family behind, my hear goes out to all her family i no how it feels for some who you love aand is close 2 you, just to lose them like that it hurts very much, just support one another.
Posted by: Xists on 11:56am Wed 30 Jan 08
One thing that the judge and everyone else seems to have missed had this young women been wearing a seat belt she would still be alive.
One thing that the judge and everyone else seems to have missed had this young women been wearing a seat belt she would still be alive.
Posted by: Afshin, Edgware on 10:44pm Tue 26 Feb 08
I thank everyone for their comments. I have been following them ever since the trial and since the verdict have been through many emotions. First Anger, then depression and finally acceptance. I am not happy with the law and the drivers family may hate me for saying this, but the sentence is not enough for the severity of the crime. The law should be a deterrant, and it seems to me that what the guilty party got does not send the correct message to the public.
As for the comment about the seat belt, the judge answered the defences accusations that my wife would have lived had she worn her seatbelt. he replied, "we will never know". But are we forgetting the main concerning point here anyway? Do we carry on sending the message that drinking and driving is a unchangeable national habit, or does the law actually want to do something about it? It seemed to me that the judge in the trial wanted to carry out the maximum sentence, but again like cases preceding this one, his hands were tied by the law. God be with you all, and I pray that nothing like this should befall anybody. Thankyou again to the community, friends and family who have supported us in this past 10 months.
I thank everyone for their comments. I have been following them ever since the trial and since the verdict have been through many emotions. First Anger, then depression and finally acceptance. I am not happy with the law and the drivers family may hate me for saying this, but the sentence is not enough for the severity of the crime. The law should be a deterrant, and it seems to me that what the guilty party got does not send the correct message to the public.
As for the comment about the seat belt, the judge answered the defences accusations that my wife would have lived had she worn her seatbelt. he replied, "we will never know". But are we forgetting the main concerning point here anyway? Do we carry on sending the message that drinking and driving is a unchangeable national habit, or does the law actually want to do something about it? It seemed to me that the judge in the trial wanted to carry out the maximum sentence, but again like cases preceding this one, his hands were tied by the law. God be with you all, and I pray that nothing like this should befall anybody. Thankyou again to the community, friends and family who have supported us in this past 10 months.
Posted by: chantelle ferreira, edgware on 2:52pm Wed 19 Mar 08
it take a loss to really know what it is like to live the rest of your life with the pain the this family is living with.
i know ask the judge and the killer,how could you live if someone come and took your daughters ,sisters,wives life away from you
The answer: is you couldnt.
16 months wouldnt heel,
the pain .
justice was not done was it?
it take a loss to really know what it is like to live the rest of your life with the pain the this family is living with.
i know ask the judge and the killer,how could you live if someone come and took your daughters ,sisters,wives life away from you
The answer: is you couldnt.
16 months wouldnt heel,
the pain .
justice was not done was it?
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