Merseyside dad hopes tougher sentences for killer drivers gives more families sense of justice they were denied

A Merseyside dad says he hopes tougher sentences for killer drivers gives more families the sense of justice they were denied.

4 year old Violet Grace Youens died after being hit by a speeding stolen car in St Helens in 2017. The driver, Aidan McAteer from Prescot, is now out of prison after serving just half of a nine year sentence.

New laws were announced last week meaning the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous or careless driving will increase to life under proposals to give judges greater powers.

Violet's dad Glenn hopes it stops other families feeling their pain :

"Violet's killer is now out of prison and we're still trying to piece together what they left of our life. We're still trying to learn to live with what they left us and he's already done his punishment.

"For the judges to use these powers it means someone else has to lose their life and someone has to be sentenced for causing death by dangerous driving. It's sad.

"This is Violet's legacy living on but if it does happen again these people will hopefully feel a bit of justice and it'll be down to Violet.

"The CPS told us not to expect double figures for our daughter's killer and we'll never make sense of that. We're hoping other families will feel that there's a deterrant being put out there and hopefully it'll start to make a difference".

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