This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7888653.stm
The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Driver guilty of M6 family deaths | Driver guilty of M6 family deaths |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A Portuguese lorry driver has been jailed for causing the deaths of a family of six by careless driving. | A Portuguese lorry driver has been jailed for causing the deaths of a family of six by careless driving. |
| David and Michelle Statham and their four children, from Llandudno, north Wales, died when a lorry hit their car as they travelled home from Birmingham. | David and Michelle Statham and their four children, from Llandudno, north Wales, died when a lorry hit their car as they travelled home from Birmingham. |
| Paulo Jorge Nogueira da Silva, 46, had denied causing the deaths by dangerous driving or by careless driving on the M6 in Cheshire last October. | Paulo Jorge Nogueira da Silva, 46, had denied causing the deaths by dangerous driving or by careless driving on the M6 in Cheshire last October. |
| He was jailed for three years by a judge at Chester Crown Court. | He was jailed for three years by a judge at Chester Crown Court. |
| Da Silva was convicted of six counts of causing death by careless driving by a majority verdict of 11-1. He was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. | Da Silva was convicted of six counts of causing death by careless driving by a majority verdict of 11-1. He was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. |
| Relatives give their reaction to Da Silva's sentence | |
| After the verdict, Michelle's father Peter Hagans said his family had been devastated Da Silva was found guilty of the "lesser charge". | |
| He said: "I think from the night of the accident when Mr da Silva butchered our family, which I believe he did, it was not possible to get justice in a British court." | He said: "I think from the night of the accident when Mr da Silva butchered our family, which I believe he did, it was not possible to get justice in a British court." |
| Thirty-eight-year-old chef Mr Statham and Michelle, 33, who were originally from Sutton Coldfield, made the journey to the Midlands partly to introduce their 10-week-old baby, Ellouise, to family and friends. | Thirty-eight-year-old chef Mr Statham and Michelle, 33, who were originally from Sutton Coldfield, made the journey to the Midlands partly to introduce their 10-week-old baby, Ellouise, to family and friends. |
| They were also travelling with sons Reece, 13, Jay, nine, and Mason, 20 months as they headed home from visiting Mrs Statham's parents. | They were also travelling with sons Reece, 13, Jay, nine, and Mason, 20 months as they headed home from visiting Mrs Statham's parents. |
| However, the family died when their silver people carrier burst into flames after it was involved in a five-vehicle pile-up between junctions 16 and 17 on the M6. | However, the family died when their silver people carrier burst into flames after it was involved in a five-vehicle pile-up between junctions 16 and 17 on the M6. |
| The Statham family were killed when their car burst into flames class="" href="/1/hi/wales/north_west/7881055.stm">Grief for 'model' family class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7685104.stm">Pictures of the Stathams | |
| Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, had told the jury there was a possibility that at the time of the crash Da Silva was using a global positioning system on his laptop computer to work out an alternative route. | Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, had told the jury there was a possibility that at the time of the crash Da Silva was using a global positioning system on his laptop computer to work out an alternative route. |
| Da Silva denied using the computer while he was driving, but police found it by the driver's seat with the screen turned to face the driver. | Da Silva denied using the computer while he was driving, but police found it by the driver's seat with the screen turned to face the driver. |
| Speaking to the court the judge, Mr Justice Irwin, said: "Anyone who has heard of the case could not help but have strong, indeed overwhelming, sympathy for the families of those who died, a whole family wiped out." | Speaking to the court the judge, Mr Justice Irwin, said: "Anyone who has heard of the case could not help but have strong, indeed overwhelming, sympathy for the families of those who died, a whole family wiped out." |
| Sentencing da Silva, the judge said: "I bear in mind the maximum sentence is five years. | Sentencing da Silva, the judge said: "I bear in mind the maximum sentence is five years. |
| "Although six deaths, this was one episode and the prison sentences must be concurrent. | "Although six deaths, this was one episode and the prison sentences must be concurrent. |
| "This was one of the most serious offences of its kind." | "This was one of the most serious offences of its kind." |
| Da Silva was told he would serve at least 18 months of his sentence in jail. | Da Silva was told he would serve at least 18 months of his sentence in jail. |
| Court 'a circus' | Court 'a circus' |
| Outside court, Cheshire chief crown prosecutor Ian Rushton said evidence showed the Stathams' car was crushed between a large lorry, which had been queuing in a long tailback because of an earlier accident, and Da Silva's truck. | Outside court, Cheshire chief crown prosecutor Ian Rushton said evidence showed the Stathams' car was crushed between a large lorry, which had been queuing in a long tailback because of an earlier accident, and Da Silva's truck. |
| Mr Rushton said Da Silva admitted in court he had seen the electronic signs warning the M6 was closed and slowed down as a result "but could not explain how the collision happened". | Mr Rushton said Da Silva admitted in court he had seen the electronic signs warning the M6 was closed and slowed down as a result "but could not explain how the collision happened". |
| "The prosecution said that it was clear that for a period of around a minute, Paulo da Silva was not paying proper attention to the road and fatally hit the Stathams' van with his 40-tonne lorry," Mr Rushton said. | "The prosecution said that it was clear that for a period of around a minute, Paulo da Silva was not paying proper attention to the road and fatally hit the Stathams' van with his 40-tonne lorry," Mr Rushton said. |
| Expressing his anger at the sentence, Mr Hagans told a news conference the court was "not much more than a circus". | Expressing his anger at the sentence, Mr Hagans told a news conference the court was "not much more than a circus". |
| He said: "The only difference being that the man in red in the circus wears a top hat and not a wig." | He said: "The only difference being that the man in red in the circus wears a top hat and not a wig." |
| Mr Stratham's uncle, Alan Moult, added the deaths had left all his family "very empty". | Mr Stratham's uncle, Alan Moult, added the deaths had left all his family "very empty". |