Drunk drivers who kill?

[eduardo]

Just looking for opinions of the formites on drunk drivers who kill people in the process of "their deed".

I ask as a woman who lives close to us has been charged with this crime recently and it has caused all manner of opinions/debates.

She is just a normal person who goes about her business the same as most people, has never been in trouble before and is now staring down the barrel of a decent stretch.

Part of me says that I do feel a bit sorry for her (although I feel sorry for the deceased persons family more) as she has been hung drawn and quartered by the locals, she is no menace to society and has her life in ruins for 5 mins of madness.

The other part of me says that she killed somebody who was minding their own business and has to pay for that.

Any thoughts?

[Lizard]

Drunk drivers are scum! and that,s why she wont get much sympathy, strangely enough we were discussing that case of gary Hart the other day, the guy who fell asleep at the wheeel, I still think his case was a terrible injustice, who hasn,t almost nodded off behind the wheel of a car, and when he set off in the morning, he didn,t say to himself " I know!, I,ll squeeze my car thru a barrier on the motorway, and drive down an embankment on to a train, for a laugh" also he did everything he could at the scene of this tragedy to help. His only crime was to not get enough sleep the night before he travelled.
Unfortunatly Ed, this women knowing got into a car while she was pissed, and killed someone, technically manslaughter, but most people would regard it as murder, even though there was no intent, she will probably serve just half of her sentence, then, if she,s smart, she would change her name, and move somewhere new...

[steve56]

they should get at least 20-25 yrs;

[diplodocus]

don't think it's as simple as all that, I bet many people have driven after one pint. If someone suddenly ran out in front of your car giving you no chance and you were found to be a touch over the limit should you be charged with manslaughter?
Compare this to someone who has ten pints and ploughs into a bus stop.

No comparison but you could end up with the same jail term

[eduardo]

Don't be sorry Liz. I am just asking for different peoples opinions.

I do sort of know the girl in question but only really to say "hi".

As I said in my original post she did kill sombody and has deprived two children of there mother because of her actions and that can be a lot to have on your conscience as well. Sure society says she should be punished and she will.

According to the papers 5-6 years is about the normal for this crime now and that's what she will get I suspect.

[Rude Boy]

I know of a couple of people who've done this. In one case it was a moment of madness and the guy had excellent character references and was genuinely fucked up over what he did, even the dead guy's family forgave him. He served a year as his behaviour inside was exemplary.

In another case the guys is/was a cunt and everyone knows that. This prick ran someone over and then fucked off home leaving the bloke dying in the road. Despite this being a disgusting, cowardly act he served about the same amount of time then came out and carried on getting pissed up and driving home.

It's situations like this that reinforce my belief that alcohol is the most vile drug on the planet, I would much rather spend time among stoners or coke-heads than pissed-up idiots. I don't touch any of this shite and in the UK it always seems you're considered a freak if you don't go on the piss with all the other chavs but it's booze that turns every town centre in the UK into a war zone every weekend, wastes millions of the NHS' resources and creates untold misery in countless households as Daddy or Mummy turns into a monster after a session on the sauce.

[stevie celt]

Would you be asking us this question if she had killed your child?

[diplodocus]

thats the whole point, if it affects you personally how can you be objective?

turn the question around as well, what if it was your child who was being put to death and found to be later innocent, no second chances