Mother's plea for tougher drink/drive sentences

The mother of a Black Country teenager killed in a car crash is campaigning for tougher sentences for drivers who break the law .

Dawn Taylor is also calling for a new law making it more difficult for inexperienced drivers to own their own car.

Learner driver Wayne Ellis was sent to custody for 15 months following the crash which killed Mrs Taylor's son James, aged 16.

James, a back seat passenger, died instantly when Ellis lost control of the Honda Civic in Gospel Ash Lane, Bobbington, near Wombourne last October 21.

Now Mrs Taylor, of Vicarage Road West, Coseley, has started a petition as part of her "Justice for James ' campaign.

"You have to have a licence for a gun and even for a TV so it should be law to have a full licence before you can buy a car.

"I think it would stop a lot of youngsters buying old cars for £200 or £300 before they have any real driving experience and stop a lot of deaths on the road."

The 57-year-old says herself and husband Kevin, aged 43, have not come to terms with the death of their son, saying they have cried everyday.

"They have to get tough on sentences. Kids are just thinking that they can get into a car with no insurance and kill someone and just get a few months in jail.

"We have to get the message across for kids to be so careful that they are not in a car with an illegal driver."

Mrs Taylor, who also has a 28-year-old daughter Danielle, has distributed petitions in local shops to gather support.

Mrs Taylor said she initially wanted to try and get Ellis's sentence reviewed but conceded that he could be released early before the campaigners had time to organise an appeal.

She added "We are the ones with a life sentence trying to get through each day. We loved that lad so much and doted on him."

Ellis, now aged 20, of Flavell Avenue, Bilston, admitted causing death by careless driving. Two weeks ago a judge at Stafford Crown Court sentenced him to 15 months' youth detention and disqualified him from driving for four years.

He will also have to take an extended driving test before he can get back behind the wheel.

The defendant, who was not insured and only held a provisional licence, lost control of the car as he rounded a bend at around 60mph, the court heard - colliding with an oncoming Isuzu Trooper and entered a spin before ending up in a hedge.