Hit And Run Driver Jailed In Southampton

A Polish man who killed a student in a hit and run in Southampton has been jailed for five years.

22-year-old Gavin Hustler-Brown was killed on Bevois Valley Road in 2007. Lukasz Banasik fled back to Poland afterwards but was arrested in 2008.

The 22-year-old admitted causing death by dangerous driving - and having no licence or insurance.

Following the sentencing of Lukasz Banasik at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday, March 11, 2010, Inspector Alan Peacock, of the Roads Death Investigation Team, said:

“This tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, April 28, 2007 in Bevois Valley Road, Southampton.

“Gavin Hustler-Brown, a 22-year-old Southampton University student from Yorkshire, had been out with friends for the evening. Gavin, a promising diver who represented the country and was a potential Olympic diver, was hit by a car driven at speed by Lukasz Marcin Banasik.

“Banasik, a Polish national, was 22 years old and had recently bought the car for £100. He did not hold a driving licence or insurance.

“Banasik drove away from the scene and abandoned the car. He immediately made plans to leave the country to evade capture and questioning about the crash.

“He was detained in July, 2008, under the terms of a European Arrest Warrant and brought back to stand trial. On December 23, 2008, he pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving.

“This case has taken almost three years to come to a conclusion. It has been a difficult time for his family who have been kept updated throughout. The five-year sentence reflects the serious view the court took of the offence and the difficulties we had getting him back to Hampshire.

“The message is that these cases will not be closed, and the offender will be pursued until arrest and brought to justice.”