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Sentence for double death 'insult'
THE family of a father and son killed by a drunk driver on the M62 are launching a petition to campaign against his eight-year jail sentence.
Relatives of Gary and James Proctor, who were killed on their way to Manchester Airport for a dream holiday in America, will also hold a protest in Wakefield after describing Imran Hussain's punishment as a "total insult."
Hussain was more than two times over the drink-drive limit when he smashed into the back of the family's Fiat Punto car in August, killing Gary, 47, and James, 16, and seriously injuring wife and mum Catherine, 44.
Moments before the crash, Hussain, 32, had been pleasuring himself behind the wheel of his powerful Audi Q7, which hit the Punto like a "speeding bullet," Manchester Crown Court heard.
Mr Proctor's niece, Katy Tomlinson, who is organising the campaign with her sister, Sarah, said: "Hussain's sentence is a joke. It's a total insult.
"Gary and James were both lovely people. Uncle Gary was my godfather and a very caring person. He was really generous.
"James was a bright, bright boy. He had passed all his GCSEs and achieved really good grades. We just feel that justice hasn't been done.
"Hussain should have got life. He chose to get in that car and eight years for killing two people just isn't enough.
"We tried to set up a petition on the Downing Street website, but it was rejected because there's already a similar one.
"So now we want to collect signatures from people, make T-shirts and organise a march. Drunk drivers should get longer sentences.
"Even if it doesn't help Gary and James, it might prevent another family being torn apart in the future."
Catherine Proctor, of Tingley, Leeds, had three metal plates inserted into her arm after it was broken in two places in the crash.
She is supporting the campaign alongside Mr Proctor's mum, Audrey, who told the YEP: "I thought he should have got more than he did.
"I don't think it was a fair sentence after killing two people and ruining Catherine's life and our lives as well."
Katy, 29, added: "It's going to be a tough Christmas. Catherine is struggling. She's basically had her life taken away from her.
"She's quite a strong person and everybody's trying to support her."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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