Lanarkshire mum slams soft-touch sentencing after son's killer avoids jail

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A heartbroken Lanarkshire mum has slammed Scotland’s sentencing laws after her son’s hit-and-run killer avoided prison because he was under-25.Amanda McIlquham’s son Steven was killed on New Year’s Day 2020 as he was walking to his grandparent’s house in Wishaw when he was hit by a car.He was crossing Alexander Street when 22-year-old Brian Buchanan struck him in his Volkswagen Golf - he was doing 45mph in a 30mph zone.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Speaking to the BBC, Amanda said: “He never saw his 16th, he never saw his 18th and that kills me for him to not have that life."He was such a blessing."The force of the impact caused Steven to be thrown onto the windscreen and over the top of Buchanan's car, leading to severe head injuries.Despite the best efforts of off-duty nurses, he died at the scene.Buchanan admitted causing the 15-year-old’s death by careless driving and failing to stop after the fatal crash - but, due to sentencing restrictions, he was spared a custodial sentence because of his age.Martin Jones KC, who was the sheriff at Hamilton Sheriff Court, said he was “constrained” in his sentence because of current guidelines on sentencing people under 25.Rules state that a custodial sentence should only be imposed on a young person when the court is satisfied that no other sentence is