Death crash family's fury
The distraught family of a 17-year-old killed in a hit-and-run smash in a village near Newport are campaigning for changes to the law after the driver involved was jailed for just 140 days.
Jonathan Scott, of Smithy Lane, Knighton, died from head injuries following the accident on May 22 as he walked home with friends along London Road just before 11.20pm.
Driver Michael Noden, 25, of Woore, was jailed on Friday after he admitted failing to stop at the scene.
Magistrates at North Staffordshire court also sentenced him to 140 days to run concurrently for failing to report the accident but he received no separate penalty for having no MOT certificate and defective brakes.
He was banned from driving for two years.
Jonathan's family are angry at the short sentence and have written to their MP Bill Cash calling for sentencing in such cases to be increased. They said the short sentence was an insult to Jon's memory.
Jonathan's father, Stephen, has also called for lighting, signs and other road improvements to be made by the narrow old railway bridge where his son died.
The tragedy comes just three years after Jon's brother George died from meningitis at the age of 10.
Mr Scott said: "The law relating to hit and run should be reformed and the maximum sentence increased to three years imprisonment giving judges greater powers to impose more realistic sentencing for such serious crimes."
The shopkeeper and his partner, Liz, said they also wanted other grieving families to avoid having to share their experience and there needed to be more support available.
Jonathan, known as Jon, gained qualifications from Reaseheath College and the Drive project based in Telford.
The family said: "We can never get back to what we had, nothing can ever replace Jon and our lives have been shattered.
"He was a wonderful, kind and caring person with a big heart and a golden smile that never failed to cheer you up. He could make the most miserable of people smile."
The family have also thanked the police for their efforts, the district judge who dealt with the case and everyone who has slowed down while driving through Knighton as a mark of respect.
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