Death crash driver appeals for licence which could see him let out of prison to work - The Stratford Observer

Death crash driver appeals for licence which could see him let out of prison to work

Stratford Editorial 20th Feb, 2019 Updated: 20th Feb, 2019   0

A DRUNK driver who killed three people in a Leamington car crash has applied for a licence which could see him let out of prison to work.

Jamie Riddick from Kineton was jailed for nine years in 2016 after causing the deaths of Emily Jennings, 27, Nathan Rhodes, 23, and Ryan Case, 25.

Riddick, who was 21-years-old at the time, was driving a Citroen Saxo on the A425 Radford Road in June 2015. It left the road and smashed into a tree and then hit a wall at 2.45am on a Sunday morning.

He was almost two times over the legal alcohol limit after drinking half a bottle of vodka.




He only had a provisional licence, and had no insurance or MOT. He was driving a car which had been bought as an insurance write-off for £375 and had three under inflated tyres and worn brakes.

Riddick offered the friends a lift back to Southam after they struggled to get a taxi at the end of a night out but after being asked by police about the crash he denied being the driver and tried to shift the blame to the victims.


After serving three years of his nine year sentence, he has now applied for release on temporary licence – which if approved would see him granted leave to go to a work placement and then return to the prison at night.

The Ministry of Justice told the Observer all prisoners were entitled to apply for the licence, and victims’ families informed if they did, but not all were given permission.

A prison service spokeswoman said: “Anyone released on temporary licence must meet strict criteria and pass a full-risk assessment before being considered for release.”

The prison service says it is introducing stricter sentencing for death by dangerous driving offences.

The spokeswoman added: “We are introducing life sentences for those who cause death by dangerous driving to reflect the impact it has for victims and their loved ones – an increase from the current maximum of 14 years.”

They say Riddick will not be released from prison until he has served at least half of his nine year sentence.

The whole community was rocked by the tragedy and the scene of the crash was flooded with flowers and cards paying tribute to the trio in the aftermath.

Carpenter Nathan lived in Southam, while father-of-two Ryan, from the nearby village of Stockton, worked for Praxair Surface Technologies. Mum-of-one Emily was a beautician who lived in Warwick.

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