Bereaved families in Purley double fatal face High Court ordeal

BEREAVED families still affected by the February death of two loved ones in Purley, face a further ordeal at a High Court appeal next month.

On Thursday February 13, two cyclists, both Reading Borough Council workers, 30-year-old father-of-two John Morland, of Elvaston Way, Tilehurst, and father-of five, Kris Jarvis, aged 39, of Brocksett Close, Reading, died on the A329 after a car struck them.

In April, the car driver Alexander Walters, aged 31, of Beech Road, Purley, was sentenced to 10 years and three months for dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking, after pleading guilty at Reading Crown Court to a total of seven offences.

The other offencesincluded driving while disqualified and

driving while uninsured.

He was sentenced to 12 months for each of the other offences, to run concurrently.

Tests showed, as well as being over the drink-drive limit, Mr Walters had also taken cocaine within the previous 24 hours.

Now, Mr Jarvis’ partner, Tracey Fidler, said the families faced a further ordeal next month, at a High Court, London hearing, after Mr Walters had appealed his jail sentence, with the aim of reducing it to eight years.

Miss Fiddler said she felt “very shaky and angry,” at the prospect of the appeal and that both she and Mr Morland’s partner, Hayley Lindsay, would be attending.

Her five children, she said, were very upset and continued: “They were not happy with the 10-year sentence and now it could go down lower.”

Since the loss of their breadwinner, she said the family was existing on benefits and struggling “big time”, while she was unable to sleep, after being diagnosed with post-trauma depression. “When I try and shut my eyes I see the crash, as if I was there. It’s going round and round in my head,” said Miss Fidler.

Her children, she continued, had returned to school, but had been unable to settle, with an “in and out” attendance record.

The families, who in April announced their decision to appeal the 10-year sentence in an effort to get it increased, have set up a Government e-petition, which aims for drivers in similar cases to receive a maximum sentence of 14 years per person killed.

The online petition – which remains open until March 30, when the families plan to take it to Parliament – had gathered 21,532 signatures by yesterday.

To add an electronic signature to the epetition, visit: epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67911.

An independent investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) continues into the role of Thames Valley Police (TVP) in the February collision.