Basildon man sentenced after fatal crash
3 May 2019, 14:00 | Updated: 3 May 2019, 17:16
A man who caused a fatal crash in Dunton has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison.
Kieran Dorsey, 24, of Shortlands, Basildon, pleaded guilty to three counts of death by dangerous driving and one count of perverting the course of justice at Basildon Crown Court on April 5th.
He was sentenced at the same court today (Friday 3rd May), receiving four and a half years for the driving offences and a further twelve months for perverting the course of justice.
Dorsey was driving a VW Caddy belonging to his employer when the collision occurred on Lower Dunton Road, Brentwood, at around 4.30pm on Monday 3rd July 2017.
The labourer had been travelling from Laindon in the direction of Tilbury when he lost control of the van and collided head-on with a Fiat Punto, which had been travelling on the other side of the road towards their home destination of Welwyn Garden City.
Two sisters, 57-year-old driver Philippa Izzard and 61-year-old front passenger Amanda Stokoe, were sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Their mother, Sheila Izzard, had been travelling in the back of the car and was taken to hospital in critical condition. The 84-year-old remained in hospital care until she passed away several months later, on 29th August 2017.
Immediately following the crash, Dorsey’s van overturned and rolled down the road, coming to a stop 25 metres away from the point of the collision.
Dorsey and his passenger exited the vehicle through the open front passenger window of the Caddy, and both were taken to hospital by officers as a precaution.
Senior Investigating Officer, PS Steve Holmes of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit told Heart:
“After analysing the road, our Forensic Collision Investigations Unit were able to determine that Dorsey was going over the speed limit, which was a 40mph, and was travelling somewhere between 52mph and 69mph.
“Dorsey’s actions that day have left a family devastated. Their three loved ones – Sheila, Philippa and Amanda – will never come home again. I hope that today’s sentence does some small justice to their memories, and allows the family to start moving forward after the past two years of anguish.”
In tribute, Chris Curran, speaking on behalf of the family of Sheila, Philippa and Amanda said:
“The family had just left Langdon Nature Reserve, where they had spent the day with other family members planning a commemorative bench for a loved one in the reserve’s community sensory garden. What had been a joyous occasion, celebrating the life of Alan Izzard, became in a split second, a day of tragedy.
"Whilst we are pleased to have been spared the ordeal of a trial, we are frustrated that Mr Dorsey’s decision to face up to the overwhelming evidence of his guilt was not taken when he first received the details of the case against him."
"No sentence can undo the harm that he caused, not only to our family, but to his own nearest and dearest. There are no winners today.”
