Reckless Car Thief Gets 39 Months for Killing a Man

In July this year, an 18 year old youth called Timon Douglin, pictured, was sentenced to 39 months in prison for killing a man called Ryan Batt after ploughing into him in a stolen car.

Today it was reported that the Solicitor General will not allow an appeal that could see Doughlin's sentence raised.

Here are the exact details of the case:

Ryan Batt was fatally knocked down in Shinfield by teenage motorist Timon Douglin in June last year.

Douglin had denied knowing he hit Mr Batt during the collision but judge John Reddihough dismissed the claim after evidence proved Mr Batt’s head hit the windscreen in front of the steering wheel before he was thrown into the garden of 156 Shinfield Road.

The Whitley youth, of Upper Meadow Road, claimed he was swerving to miss a fox when he lost control of the vehicle, which was travelling at 60mph in a 40mph zone in a car he had taken without permission.

Douglin was not insured either.

Following the collision Douglin got out of his car, picked up the mangled bumper and headlight that were lying next to one of his victim’s shoes and drove off.

As you can see, he didn't just kill Mr Batt. He lied about his involvement, didn't call an ambulance after the collision, didn't even check to see if his innocent victim was alive - he just tried to cover his tracks.

He was also driving well over the speed limit without insurance - and taking all of the aggravating factors into account, he could have got 14 years.

Sometimes, I wonder why anyone bothers living within the law anymore - you pay tax, work, raise a family, and then someone like this comes along and just takes it all away. To add insult to injury, they are all but untouchable legally, and they know it.

How did it come to this?