Taxi driver gets 60 months for causing death

Jan 22, 2014 News

A 60-month prison sentence was yesterday handed by Magistrate Judy Latchman to a 26-year-old taxi driver who was arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for causing the death of a Chinese restaurant owner in May, last year.
Magistrate Latchman, before delivering her decision, affirmed that in light of the alarming number of road fatalities in the year 2013 there is a dire need for a message directed at the preservation of Guyana’s human resources to be sent to all road users.
Leron Henry Griffith of 1109 Festival City North Ruimveldt, Georgetown was found guilty.
He was first indicted facing a charge of Cause of Death by Dangerous Driving whereby it was alleged that on May 31, 2013, he drove in a manner dangerous to the public on Mandela Avenue, while piloting motor car HC2408 thereby causing the death of 43-year-old Feng Xue Fang. When the charge was initially read to him by the said Magistrate, he had pleaded not guilty.
At the conclusion of the trial yesterday, Magistrate Latchman commended the Prosecution which was spearheaded by Sergeant Vishnu Hunt, claiming that she was satisfied with the strong case it presented.
She highlighted that on May 31, there was a collision with the car driven by Griffith, as a result of which Feng Xue Fang died.
Magistrate Latchman recapped the prosecution’s facts as well as Griffith’s testimony and noted that he had said that on that day he was proceeding west on the southern side of Mandela Avenue when the deceased “stepped out of nowhere.”
During the mitigation process, the Magistrate relied on the testimony of Corporal Clarence Jordan who conducted the investigations of the accident. She also added that the witness that Griffith brought to the court was a ‘witness of convenience’ who contradicted several of his claims and was clearly not in the car at the time of the accident.
According to the Magistrate, the conviction which she delivered was one based on the strength of the Prosecution’s case. Magistrate Latchman informed Griffith that the court did not believe that the woman “stepped out of nowhere” but rather that she had already crossed more than half of his lane but it was due to his inattentiveness the accident was caused.
The Magistrate in a stern voice said to Griffith “You drove at a fast and furious rate on the day in question.” She noted that the court noticed the absence of skid marks but clarified that that does not mean that he was not driving fast.
During her address, she claimed that the court was satisfied that he had caused the death of the woman, who as a result of the accident,had sustained several sets of injuries.
“The court is sure that you failed to exercise care, caution, common sense, courtesy and consideration on that day. You fell below the care and caution necessary for competent driving. The court hereby finds you guilty as charged,” Magistrate Latchman said.
Griffith’s lawyer, Melville Duke, attempted to plea during mitigation. He asked the Magistrate to consider that Griffith is now starting a family and is willing to offer compensation to the family of the deceased. He also added that his client had been remanded for the past five months.
However, in handing down the sentence, the Magistrate proclaimed that “The Police records of Road Fatalities which were released on December 28, 2013 indicated that over 100 persons died in traffic accidents; 37 of which were pedestrians.”
She further stated that during March-May, Georgetown produced the highest statistics. “I’ve considered that a life has been lost to which speed was a factor in that death. There is a need to preserve our human resources and to also send a strong message to all road users.”
“Although you had spent 5 months in remand, the aggravating factors overweigh the mitigating factors. You are hereby sentenced to 60 months imprisonment.”

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Taxi driver gets 60 months for causing death

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