Is this the right decision?

[Ethel]

Gary Cooke has escaped a prison sentence for the death of his 7 year old girl who died on Boxing Day riding a quad bike that she got for Christman on the road, in the dark.

It is very true to say that he never set out to kill her, but what he said shortly after her death bothered me a great deal:

Mr Cooke, an organic farmer, said: "Lizzie was a perfectly capable, confident and able little girl.
"She was brought up on the farm and in the village.
"She's been on that road riding her ponies and her horses thousands of times before.
"There is no point in regretting what happened. It could just as easily have happened if she had been on her horse.

When I read that at the time, I could have shook him until his teeth rattled.
Definitely a case of more money than sense.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/76801 17.stm

[Gromit]

I do not really see any point in his prosecution and the sentence. He has lost his daughter and he knows that he is largely to blame for that. He was very stupid but he obviously loved his daughter. Give him a bolloking by all means, but to make a criminal out of him for this personal tragedy is pointless.

[Ethel]

So you agree with him that 'there is no point in regretting what happened'?

That accident was foreseeable - he has been criminally negligent.

[terambulan]

While the father was neglectful in allowing the children on the highway with quad-bikes, surely the other range rover driver, who actually hit the child, is the one to blame?

Maybe, I've read the article wrong?

[Ethel]

She wasn't to blame at all. She was on her own side of the road - it was dark.

It was impossible for her to see the quad bikes (there were two) behind the father's 4x4 and the girl just veered out across the road in front of her.

That driver who hit the girl has been traumatised and is another innocent victim.

[DrFilth]

ethel
It was impossible for her to see the quad bikes (there were two) behind the father's 4x4 and the girl just veered out across the road in front of her

if they had been on the ponies, the same thing could have happened
it was a tragic accident


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[Gromit]

Ethel,

So you agree with him that 'there is no point in regretting what happened'?

Cannot see that view reported in the article. I did read the following though

"Clearly this is a tragic accident which has absolutely devastated the Cooke family and one for which Mr Cooke holds himself responsible," she said.
"He clearly will never forgive himself for what has happened. He is already living a life sentence."

Which I read as he absolutely does regret it.

He now has a criminal conviction and a suspended sentence. How does that help anyone?

[Ethel]

I quoted what he said not long after the accident.

Only a fool would let a 7 year old ride a pony on a public road in the dark.

[DrFilth]

ethel as gromit has said above, that man has a life sentence. he will miss his liitle angel for the rest of his life

criminal conviction and a suspended sentence.what good does that do




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[terambulan]

The father suffers without penal penalties. His unfortunate choice of words should not have been quoted in the press.

[Ethel]

That is what he told the journalist, though.

He broke the law in allowing those children to ride those quad bikes on the road - he committed a criminal offence that resulted in her death.

[sara3]

regardless of the full circumstances, how can anyone NOT regret the death of their child ?

bizarre.

[DrFilth]

ethel this was out in the country

On the night of the accident Elizabeth and her brother, Jack, 10, were riding the quad bikes behind a Range Rover driven by their father.

if this was in the middle of london or other large city i may think him potty. this was in the country and he was in front of them.

[DrFilth]

sara not everything that is printed is 100% true.




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[Ethel]

Dr Filth - you are being naive. Lots of accidents happen on country lanes, which often aren't lit, can be narrow with sharp, blind bends and high hedgerows, and usually have the national speed limit of 60mph

This was in the dark, on a powerful quadbike she had owned for a day.

[sara3]

true, Dr. I didn't read the link but assumed, as it was the bbc site it would be more accurate than say.. the News of the World.

the quote isn't in the link, but IF he really said he has no regrets, I think that is appalling.

[DrFilth]

Elizabeth had ridden a 50cc bike with a 12mph speed limit but both youngsters were given identical 100cc quad bikes - capable of a top speed of 36mph - for Christmas.

the young girl had ridden quads in the past , the 100cc is the next stage up .i will repeat i think this is a tragic accident. that man will have to live with for the rest of his life.


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[Ethel]

But it is illegal for a 7 year old to ride it on the road - it was a very foreseeable, avoidable accident for which that man is100% responsible.

I have to wonder why he didn't take the unconscious child to hospital, or at least call an ambulance straight away.

60mph road, a vehicle capable of 36mph, a 7 year old child in the dark - he should be in prison.

[Ethel]

This is where he says there is no point regretting...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1574035 /Quad-bike-girl%27s-parents-%27to-face-consequ ences%27.html

[DrFilth]

ethel would you ban all small bikes and mopeds from these 60 mph roads

MOPED
A moped is defined as having an engine no larger than 50cc, weighing less than 250kg and going no faster than 50kmph (that�s about 31mph).

Anyone who passed a car driving test before 1 February 2001 can hop on and ride a moped without L-plates. You can even carry a pillion passenger (though with such a small engine, it might be quicker to walk!)



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[Eve]

Another very sad tale, from the McCanns leaving their children alone in the apartment, Scarlett's Keeling's mother letting her go off and do goodness knows what, the child found alone in a burning house, I really does make me wonder.

Regret is, unfortunately, too often too late.