Mother condemns suspended sentence for soldier who killed Bournemouth teenager
Laionie Kennard, 18, died when a BMW driven by Joseph Pickett crashed into trees in Bournemouth in September 2023. Her mother says the justice system failed her daughter because Pickett received a suspended sentence rather than immediate imprisonment, which the court said would have ended his military career.
Pickett admitted causing death by careless driving after taking three friends home; he had drunk cider and was driving at about 50mph in a 30mph area. He was given a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years, a two-year driving ban and 250 hours of unpaid work. A coroner identified excessive speed as the main cause of death and plans to report concerns about Pickett’s limited driving experience and intensive military driving courses.
In short
- Laionie Kennard died in a speeding crash in 2023.
- Her mother criticises the suspended sentence.
- A coroner will raise concerns about new drivers.
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The case for
The sentence may be defended as a proportionate response to a conviction for careless, rather than dangerous, driving, while still imposing a prison term, a driving ban and substantial unpaid work. Suspending imprisonment can recognise the seriousness of the loss while allowing rehabilitation and avoiding consequences—such as ending a military career—that the court considered relevant to the overall penalty.
The case against
The family and others may argue that driving after drinking at about 50mph in a 30mph area, with fatal consequences, warrants immediate imprisonment to reflect the gravity of the conduct and the life lost. They may also question whether preserving Pickett’s military career should have influenced the sentence, and whether a suspended term gives sufficient weight to public confidence, deterrence and the mother’s sense that justice was done.
Explained simply
Laionie Kennard was 18 when she died in a car crash in Bournemouth in September 2023. Joseph Pickett, who was driving the BMW, admitted causing her death by careless driving.
In England and Wales, a suspended prison sentence means the person does not go to prison immediately, provided they meet the court’s conditions and do not commit another offence during the suspension period. The court can also impose measures such as a driving ban and unpaid work.
The case has drawn attention to how courts weigh the seriousness of a driving offence against a person’s circumstances, including their work. It has also raised questions about the training and experience of military drivers.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘My daughter has been completely failed’: Mother of teen crash victim hits out at judge’s decision not to jail soldier who smashed speeding BMW into trees so he could keep job”.