Scarlett Rossborough tragedy: One-year driving ban over fatal accident is questioned
A “much stiffer” driving ban should have been handed down to a pensioner who accidentally killed Scarlett Rossborough, a local councillor has said.
Gregg McKeen, DUP councillor for the eight-year-old girl's hometown of Larne, was reacting to the sentencing of 92-year-old Carrickfergus man John Noble Lindsay for the 2023 traffic incident.
He was given a 10-month sentence, suspended for one year, and one year driving ban after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
After that he must re-take a test.
The sentence was handed down at Belfast Crown Court on January 10.
Alderman McKeen was asked if he feels the one-year ban was adequate.
"It wouldn't be," he said. "You'd expect, if you've got that conviction, it'd be probably more serious than a one-year driving ban, it'd be safe to say."
He suggested a ban of "at least five-plus years" would be more suitable – or possibly a lifetime ban.
He said that one year was "very disappointing", and there should have been "a much stiffer sentence".
"You have to think from the point of view of the family. The whole thing about court and justice and all is showing a deterrent when something like this happens," he said.
"Personally I think if you've that conviction, a much longer, more serious ban would've been in line with what's happened."
On the day of the crash, Scarlett, was part of a group of children from a community centre summer scheme on a day out to Carrickfergus Castle.
As the group was on a footpath in the town centre, Lindsay's car mounted it and struck three children.