Man Jailed For Bushey Costco Manslaughter

16 October 2014, 13:24 | Updated: 16 October 2014, 18:09

Two men have been sentenced to a total of eighteen years in custody for the manslaughter of a young father in Bushey on May 26th last year.

Prasanna Arulchelvan, who was 34, died from a fractured skull and other injuries which he sustained following an incident in the car park of Costco last year when Mr Prasanna fell from a moving van after communicating with its occupants.

Patrick O’ Driscoll, 34, of Purkiss Road, Hertford was sentenced to ten and a half years for manslaughter after pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. 

He also received three and a half years to run concurrently after pleading guilty to two charges of conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles including one on May 25th and one on May 26th  last year.

James O’Driscoll, 45, of Hamlet Hill, Roydon was sentenced to seven and a half years for manslaughter after pleading not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. 

He also received three and a half years to run concurrently after pleading two charges of conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles including one on May 25th and one on May 26th  last year.

Both men had entered not guilty pleas at a hearing in June but changed their pleas on day two of the trial at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday (October 14th).

Detective Chief  Inspector Ruth Dodsworth from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: "Arulchelvan‘Nick’ Prasanna was a caring, honest and hard - working family man. 

His life was cut short by the actions of Partrick and James O’ Driscoll who, following the incident, drove off and left him suffering with injuries which resulted in him losing his life. 

Their actions have also resulted in his young son having to grow up without his father.

We are pleased with the sentences passed on Patrick and James O’ Driscoll today and they reflect the severity of what they have done.

I would like to express my sincere sympathy to the family of Arulchelvan Prasanna, and thank them for the dignity and courage they have shown throughout what has been a living nightmare for them these past eighteen months.

I hope the sentence passed today will enable them to have some closure."

A third man, Michael Mc Inerney is wanted by police in connection with this investigation. 

Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact Hertfordshire Police on 101.