Family's Grief as Hit-and-Run Driver Receives Ten-Year Sentence
A devastated mother has spoken out against what she calls a "far too lenient" ten-year prison sentence for the hit-and-run driver who killed her son with learning disabilities.
Phillip Bruce, 34, was struck and killed by an uninsured driver being chased by police in the early hours of August 1st. The incident occurred on London Road in Ware, Hertfordshire.
Erald Kamberi, 21, fled the scene after hitting Phillip and continued to escape on foot after crashing his car. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison, along with a 15-year driving ban.
'He Left My Son Dying in the Road'
Phillip's mother, Jennifer Dover, expressed her profound disappointment with the sentencing outcome. "He killed my son and left him there in the road," she said. "This isn't long enough and I just can't feel that justice has been served."
Jennifer added: "Ten years for killing someone and driving off, not caring what had happened, is not something I can ever accept. I am absolutely devastated to have lost Phillip and especially in the manner it happened. We will never recover from this."
Remembering Phillip: A 'Gentle Giant'
Phillip was described by his family as a "gentle giant" - an adored son and brother who lived with learning disabilities but never let them hold him back from living a full and independent life.
He maintained two jobs, working in the kitchen of a local care home and delivering pizzas in the evenings. Phillip was engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Jenna March, and was a proud member of Always Bee You, a charity that supports adults with learning disabilities.
"Phil was so hardworking," Jennifer recalled. "He worked his butt off and was really proud of himself for doing so. I am so proud of everything he achieved. He loved his job as a kitchen assistant. The last time I saw him was when he was going to work and he was so happy."
Phillip cherished the independence his moped provided him, as his learning disabilities prevented him from driving a car. "He loved the Always Bee You crowd," his mother said. "He would go and do karaoke and all kinds of things with them. Coldplay was a favourite for him to sing."
Reckless Driving and Fleeing Justice
The fatal collision occurred at 12:35am on Friday, August 1st, on London Road near the junction to Amwell End and Station Road. A blue Honda WW moped driven by Phillip and a white Vauxhall Astra driven by Kamberi were involved in the incident.
Phillip died at the scene, while Kamberi fled and wasn't arrested until Saturday, August 2nd.
Judge Sheridan told the court that Kamberi drove "like a lunatic to get away from officers, driving at high speed, on the wrong side of the road, with no driving license or insurance".
Detective Sergeant Ben Heath from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit stated: "I know that nothing can undo the hurt caused by Kamberi's actions. What he has done has left a hole within a family following the loss of Phillip."
He added: "Kamberi's reckless actions and lack of thought for others caused the death of a much-loved member of the community. His lack of care and callousness was shown in the fact he fled the scene following the collision."
Family Seeks Support and Healing
Jennifer Dover, who is awaiting counselling to help with her grief, is being supported by serious injury specialists at law firm Slater and Gordon.
Vanessa Foxley, a serious injury specialist at the firm, said: "Phillip was clearly a much-loved man who loved life, and his loss has devastated his whole community. Jennifer, understandably, is utterly distraught and wants to feel justice has been served for her precious son."
Kamberi was sentenced in September and will serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for deportation.
As Phillip's mother continues to grapple with her unimaginable loss, she remains firm in her belief that the punishment doesn't match the crime that took her son's life and left a family forever broken.
