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Alexander Walters' sentence upheld over cyclists' deaths | Alexander Walters' sentence upheld over cyclists' deaths |
(about 4 hours later) | |
A convicted bomb hoaxer and fraudster who killed two cyclists while driving a stolen car has had his sentence upheld at the Court of Appeal. | A convicted bomb hoaxer and fraudster who killed two cyclists while driving a stolen car has had his sentence upheld at the Court of Appeal. |
Alexander Walters, 31, struck John Morland, 30, and Kris Jarvis, 39, in Purley Rise, Purley-on-Thames, on 13 February while almost two-and-a-half times over the legal alcohol limit. | |
He was sentenced to 10 years and three months. | He was sentenced to 10 years and three months. |
His previous convictions include one for a bomb hoax after the 9/11 attacks. | His previous convictions include one for a bomb hoax after the 9/11 attacks. |
'Utter devastation' | |
Walters, from Purley, pleaded guilty to a total of seven offences at Reading Crown Court in April, including dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle-taking. | |
He was driving a stolen BMW at about 70mph (112kph) in a 30mph (48kph) zone when he lost control and hit the two cyclists. | |
Appealing for a reduction in his sentence, his barrister James House said: "There's nothing that's attractive about this appeal. His selfish actions caused utter devastation. | |
"There's little more a man can do than come to the court and say what he did. It's important in that case, he should get the one third credit he deserves." | |
But Mr Justice Globe rejected the sentence appeal and backed the decision of the trial judge. | |
Outside the court, a spokesman for the families of the cyclists said: "They were satisfied with today's outcome, but would rather not have had to come to court at all." | |
Walters, previously from Cardiff, is a Russian-born orphan adopted by a Welsh vicar when he was 17. | Walters, previously from Cardiff, is a Russian-born orphan adopted by a Welsh vicar when he was 17. |
In 2001 he was sentenced to two years custody after phoning a bomb hoax to Heathrow Airport days after the 11 September terror attacks. | |
He has a string of other convictions, including for fraud, and had been disqualified from driving for four years in 2010. | |