‘It feels like a kick in the teeth’: Family of boy, 13, killed by hit-and-run driver set for early prison release say they are ‘devastated’ after thug only served two years
The family of 13-year-old Kaylan Hippsley, who died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in Hirwaun, South Wales, have said they are "devastated" that his killer, Harley Whiteman, is set to be released from prison after serving just two years. The case has renewed concerns about sentencing for fatal driving offences, with the family describing the early release as feeling like "a kick in the teeth" given the severity of the crash and its impact on their lives.
Kaylan was killed on the evening of 29 February 2024 while standing outside a Co-op shop with friends in the village. Whiteman, then 19, was driving a Ford Fiesta at an estimated speed of between 40mph and 60mph, reportedly swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle before striking the boy, with the incident described as cocaine-fuelled. Footage showed Whiteman speeding down the road and narrowly avoiding parked cars before the fatal collision.
- Boy, 13, killed in 2024 Hirwaun hit-and-run by cocaine-fuelled driver.
- Driver Harley Whiteman, 19, jailed but released after just two years.
- Family say early release feels like "a kick in the teeth".
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of the current sentencing and release framework argue that automatic early release for good behaviour, typically at the halfway point of a determinate sentence, is a longstanding feature of the justice system designed to encourage rehabilitation, manage prison capacity responsibly, and ensure offenders are reintegrated under supervised licence conditions rather than released abruptly with no oversight. They contend that judges already calibrate the original sentence with this release point in mind, meaning the punishment reflects the seriousness of the offence even if the custodial portion appears shorter, and that changing the rules retrospectively for individual cases, however sympathetic, would undermine consistency and the rule of law. They would add that public safety is often better served by a structured transition with monitoring than by rigid full-term incarceration alone.
The case against
Those sympathetic to the family's position argue that a sentence resulting in only two years actually served for causing the death of a 13-year-old boy in a hit-and-run fails to reflect the gravity of the loss, the trauma inflicted on a grieving family, and the seriousness of fleeing the scene rather than seeking help. They would say that standard early-release rules, however administratively convenient, can produce outcomes that feel disproportionate to victims and the public in cases of fatal driving offences, eroding trust in the justice system's ability to deliver meaningful accountability. They argue that sentencing and release policy for causing death by dangerous or hit-and-run driving should better reflect the value of the life lost and the lasting harm to those left behind.