Summary
The family of a man killed in a car crash caused by a motorist’s careless driving are fuming at what they feel was his overly lenient sentence. Michael Ramstedt, of Shurdington, Cheltenham, died just over two years ago when Nuno Gouveia’s car went onto the wrong side of the road at Birdlip and crashed into his vehicle.
Details
Now after a long wait for justice, the family of the 58-year-old father-of-four feel they have not got it. On August 19, Cheltenham magistrates sentenced Gouveia, of Chipping Street, Tetbury, to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. They also gave the 32-year-old a 12-month driving ban, a £272 fine and ordered him to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
In July, he had pleaded guilty to causing death by careless/inconsiderate driving and said at his sentencing that he had been distracted by the satnav in his car. Mr Ramstedt’s family say they are angry and feel let down by the outcome of the case. His widow, Livia, said in a statement on social media: “For everyone else, this may be a court case and a sentence.
For me and my family, this is our life. “Michael died, and we have had to live with that loss every single day. After nearly two years of waiting for some sense of justice, an eight-month sentence suspended for two years, 150 hours of community service and costs feels incredibly difficult to comprehend.
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“Nothing could ever bring Michael back, and no sentence could undo what happened. But I had hoped the consequences would reflect the devastating and permanent consequences of losing a life. “Thank you to everyone who has shown support and who understands why this sentence is so deeply upsetting.” Keith Harris, Mr Ramstedt’s son, said: “I’m just so angry.
The fact that it took two years. “I’m not that bothered about the prison sentence but the one-year driving ban. That’s ridiculous.
His licence should have been taken away for five to 10 years to make people understand that being able to have one is a privilege, not an expectation.” Mr Harris, of Northleach, attended the sentencing hearing. He said the court heard that Gouveia was sorry for what happened but, in his view, he did not appear to be greatly remorseful.
Mr Harris said that the crash happened at 5.30am as his father made his way to Sladewood Academy in Stroud, where he worked as a caretaker. He said there were no witnesses to the collision, other than Gouveia, whose Nissan Qashqai went on to the wrong side of the road and collided with his father’s Kia Picanto. The Picanto came to rest against a tree by the side of the road.
Report source: Gloucestershire Live
