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Motorist loses crash death appeal | Motorist loses crash death appeal |
(43 minutes later) | |
A motorist who was drunk when she hit and killed a 15-month-old boy in his pushchair has lost her appeal against her seven-year sentence. | A motorist who was drunk when she hit and killed a 15-month-old boy in his pushchair has lost her appeal against her seven-year sentence. |
Katie Gutierrez-Perez, 41, had also taken 14 sleeping tablets in a failed suicide attempt when she hit Finlay Woods in Chingford, east London. | Katie Gutierrez-Perez, 41, had also taken 14 sleeping tablets in a failed suicide attempt when she hit Finlay Woods in Chingford, east London. |
She was jailed in January at Snaresbrook Crown Court for causing death by dangerous driving in 2008. | She was jailed in January at Snaresbrook Crown Court for causing death by dangerous driving in 2008. |
The Court of Appeal threw out the mother-of-two's case on Friday. | The Court of Appeal threw out the mother-of-two's case on Friday. |
Gutierrez-Perez was in the dock of the court to hear the ruling. She had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving without insurance. | |
Financial difficulties | |
But Lord Justice Aikens, who said the "facts of this tragic case are chilling", announced that the sentence imposed was "absolutely correct" - it was neither wrong in principle nor manifestly excessive. | |
She was driving to hospital after a failed suicide attempt, the original trial heard. | She was driving to hospital after a failed suicide attempt, the original trial heard. |
She was one-and-a-half times above the legal alcohol limit and had also taken 14 sleeping tablets in an effort to kill herself after she got into financial difficulties following the break-up of her 18-year marriage. | She was one-and-a-half times above the legal alcohol limit and had also taken 14 sleeping tablets in an effort to kill herself after she got into financial difficulties following the break-up of her 18-year marriage. |
Moments before the crash in September last year, a car tax inspector had tried to stop her driving the vehicle. | Moments before the crash in September last year, a car tax inspector had tried to stop her driving the vehicle. |
The inspector found Gutierrez-Perez's car was declared off the road and also discovered her rear tyre was dangerously low on pressure. | The inspector found Gutierrez-Perez's car was declared off the road and also discovered her rear tyre was dangerously low on pressure. |
But while he called for a tow truck, she sped off, having changed her mind about suicide for the sake of her two teenage children and decided to drive herself to hospital for treatment. | But while he called for a tow truck, she sped off, having changed her mind about suicide for the sake of her two teenage children and decided to drive herself to hospital for treatment. |
After the Appeal Court hearing, Finlay's mother Tina Woods, 32, of Highams Park, east London, said: "Only three months into her original sentence she applied for weekend release, which was granted. | |
'No excuse' | |
"Then in April we found out that she had decided to appeal against her sentence. | |
"Since that time we have lived with the anguish that the woman who had taken our precious son away from us quite clearly feels no remorse." | |
Mrs Woods, who gave birth to a baby boy named Rafferty in July, added: "Perhaps you could call what happened that day an accident, an unfortunate event that wasn't planned, but that's too simple, too easy to dismiss. | |
"Finn was killed by a drunk and drug-fuelled driver who should never have been behind the wheel of a car. | |
"There can be no acceptable excuse for this." |