Dad Get's 2 Year's For Causing The Death Of His 4 Children

Sharpshooter

He drives 80 miles an hour in a modified Land Rover, crashes and kills 4 of his children , and all he gets is 2 years?
That works out at 6 months for each death.:mad:

A DAD whose four children died when his botched Land Rover plunged into a river has been jailed for two years.

Nigel Gresham made dangerously bad modifications to turn his 4x4 into an off-road vehicle using parts from five different Land Rovers.

It veered off a country lane at around 80mph into the freezing River Witham at Tattershall Bridge, Lincs.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Gresham, 37, then-partner Sarah Bolland, 31, and their three other children were saved.

But daughters Keavy, eight, Angel, four, and Willow, two, and son Thor, six, either drowned or died from being immersed in icy water.

Miss Bolland, who left Gresham after the tragedy, said yesterday: “I don’t think the prison sentence for Nigel is enough for my children’s lives. I’m sure he feels sorry but whatever happens from now on in, it’s not going to bring my children back.”

Gresham, of Chapel Hill, Lincs, was found guilty last month of causing the deaths by dangerous driving.

Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Michael Heath said: “Your Land Rover should not have been on the road. It was an accident waiting to happen.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2167676.ece

Senna

I would say his life is over anyway, no way someone could recover knowing it was his actions that killed his four kids.

Sharpshooter

Driving at 80 miles an hour with his children beside him , makes me wonder if he gave them any thought at all.

jhegarty

Sharpshooter wrote: »

He drives 80 miles an hour in a modified Land Rover, crashes and kills 4 of his children , and all he gets is 2 years?
That works out at 6 months for each death.:mad:




http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2167676.ece

As he was in the car himself when it crashed I don't think we can say more than he is a stupid idiot who will have to live with this for the rest of his life.

ladyella

My opinion on it changes to be honest... I dont know what kind of father he was and I'd base my opinion on that more or less. At first glance I thought, what?! only 2 years?!?! He deserves a hell of a lot more than that for being responsible for the death of his babies... THEN though, I thought, I could NEVER EVER even start to imagine what it must be like in his head... he could torture himself every single day and he is probably in a living hell anyway regardless of where he happens to be... Its a hard one to think about anyway thats for sure

drunkmonkey

It was hardly delibrate, my dad broke the speed limit with me in the car before, if something happend i wouldn't like to see him to go to jail over it...actually thought it was cool at the time....

I think this man has lost enough without a jail sentance to boot, he's hardly going to be a repeat offender...

Steve

The sun is always right....:rolleyes:

My da sent me down a hill on a piece of wood with pram wheels nailed onto it and I didn't die - I fuppin hate this modern political correctness.

Sharpshooter

SteveC wrote: »

The sun is always right....:rolleyes:

My da sent me down a hill on a piece of wood with pram wheels nailed onto it and I didn't die - I fuppin hate this modern political correctness.

Whats PC about it , Steve?

Cokehead Mother

He didn't murder his kids or anything. He's just a stupid, irresponsible man who has learnt his lesson in a horrible, horrible way.

I can't see him dangerously modifying a 4x4 again and don't see how he's a threat to society. What exactly would a longer sentence acomplish?

drunkmonkey

must have been a bit like Raffertys Car...:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qovk67yMiFI

towel401

stop getting so freaking outraged. 80mph isn't even all that fast

themadchef

2 years or 20 years it wont matter to him. I think the guy will re live it forever.

There is no punishment society can give this man. He didint do it intentionally, it was carelessness, stupidity on his part. He will forever have to live with that. Forever is a very long time. Poor guy, i feel sorry for him. They lost their lives yes, but he lost his family. .... all through carelessness. It's very, very sad.

How can society possibly punish this man more than he's going to punish himself? no idea. Should there be a punishment? Yes, if only to make people think twice.

Pride Fighter

Sharpshooter wrote: »

He drives 80 miles an hour in a modified Land Rover, crashes and kills 4 of his children , and all he gets is 2 years?
That works out at 6 months for each death.:mad:




http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2167676.ece

Who gives a monkeys, that is Britain, not Ireland.

Epic Tissue

Sharpshooter wrote: »

He drives 80 miles an hour in a modified Land Rover, crashes and kills 4 of his children , and all he gets is 2 years?
That works out at 6 months for each death.:mad:




http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2167676.ece

Obviously an accident. poor family

Pigman III

He'll be in his own prison till the day he dies, no changing what he done and he knows that, he's in hell.

Sharpshooter

towel401 wrote: »

stop getting so freaking outraged. 80mph isn't even all that fast

Who is freaking outraged?
I just think he got off very lightly in regards to his sentencing.

giggsy664

Don't you get 2 years for speeding in America?

Pigman III

Yeah well the Americans are idiots.

drunkmonkey

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Who is freaking outraged?
I just think he got off very lightly in regards to his sentencing.

dude he's just lost his family, what do you suggest, cut off his arm so he can never drive again...
He should not be sent to prison the chap is already in hell...

Anima

Jesus look at the kids names, what was he thinking?

Steve

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Whats PC about it , Steve?

Where to start..
The headline:
A DAD whose four children died when his botched Land Rover plunged into a river has been jailed for two years.

The judge found him guilty of dangerous driving causing death, nothing to do with having a modified or 'botched' land rover.

I'm not condoning the actions of the driver in any way, it was irresponsible to the n'th degree, I just think it's the usual sensationalism by tabloids making up shyte to further the sales of their newspapers.
Maybe my PC claim was a bad choice of words, I hope you can see what I mean though.

Armin_Tamzarian

drunkmonkey wrote: »

dude he's just lost his family, what do you suggest, cut off his arm so he can never drive again...
He should not be sent to prison the chap is already in hell...

+1

As someone who drives alot I've always got a fear of hitting a child.
Especially in estates where they just run out in front of you.
I don't know how I'd live with myself, even if I was completely blameless.

There was no malicious intent, it was an accident.
The part about modifying the vehicle are somewhat sketchy.
It's not like he fitted a NOS kit and as far as the speeding goes
I'd imagine it would be quite hard to find kids who haven't
been carried in a vehicle breaking the speed limit at some point.

Let's not forget that you would be treated like an outcast these days if you carried a young child in a car without a special seat.
Not to mention if you were seen allowing a young child to be carried in the front seat protected by nothing but a seat belt.
However, it's not that long ago that child car seats were almost non-existant and its was common place to see kids as young as 4 riding in the front seat.

Sharpshooter

drunkmonkey wrote: »

dude he's just lost his family, what do you suggest, cut off his arm so he can never drive again...
He should not be sent to prison the chap is already in hell...

I know all that , and I agree.
I just felt that the prison term he got makes the loss of his kids lives seem unimportant.

drunkmonkey

Sharpshooter wrote: »

I know all that , and I agree.
I just felt that the prison term he got makes the loss of his kids lives seem unimportant.

he brought the kids into this word, he probably busted his balls trying to put food on the table, just cause the courts decided the crime deserved punishment dosen't mean it's correct, politically maybe but not morally....

what would you hand down if your were the Judge?

If it was me i'd probably hand the guy some kleenex and offer some councelling services....

Sharpshooter

drunkmonkey wrote: »

what would you hand down if your were the Judge?

If you really want to know?
A long sentence, why should he get to live any kind of life , after taking 4?
He didn't just hop in his car with the family for a nice drive , now , did he.
They were kids that had a future ahead of them until he decided to put his foot down.
What I am saying , is their lives boiled down to a worth of 6 months each.
It just doesn't seem right.
That's all I was trying to say.

Heckler

There were 9 people in a 4x4 ? what kind of vehicle was it ? A 4x4 minibus ? Edit: Just saw it was a landrover. Didn't know they could hold 9 people..............Man was an ass but he's paying for it forever.

Saibh

Heckler wrote: »

There were 9 people in a 4x4 ? what kind of vehicle was it ? A 4x4 minibus ?

It is stated in the first post - a modified Land Rover

Gordon

1 apostrophe, 2 apostrophes.

shqipshume

So sad may they rest in peace


I think he will be in enough of his own guilt and pain and will never be whole person again if he is anyway good person.

byte

Sky News says he was driving at "up to 60mph", when he veered to avoid an oncoming minibus. So somebody's wrong wrt the speed he was travelling.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Nigel-Gresham-Guilty-Of-Causing-Deaths-Of-His-Four-Kids-In-Land-Rover-Which-Plunged-Into-River/Article/200812315182507

But then, if you believe this Sun article, he deserved a lot more than 2 years...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2053788.ece

Heckler

I would be surprised if a landrover like the one being shown could safetly fit 9 people especially given some of the ages as they would need child seats which can cut the carrying capacity of a vehicle in three.

tony1kenobi

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Who gives a monkeys, that is Britain, not Ireland.

I welcome a ban.Four dead kids? You and your statement are a fcuking arsehole.

Heckler

tony1kenobi wrote: »

I welcome a ban.Four dead kids? You and your statement are a fcuking arsehole.

QFT but the wrong person is probably gonna get the ban...................

Horsefumbler

7 kids and his wife was only 31! :eek:

probably just replace those kids on the next couple of years innit

byte

Heckler wrote: »

I would be surprised if a landrover like the one being shown could safetly fit 9 people especially given some of the ages as they would need child seats which can cut the carrying capacity of a vehicle in three.

Yeah, that had me wondering also.

I'm also wondering if anybody was wearing seatbelts at all? I'd imagine it would be quite hard to get away from a submerged vehicle with a seatbelt on, and panic kicking in etc.

jimi_t

Awful tragedy, but is it just me that noticed that the article linked was from The Sun

I mean c'mon now, you might as well quote the Beano for all the integrity and accuracy you're going to derive from the British tabloids.

Sharpshooter

jimi_t wrote: »

Awful tragedy, but is it just me that noticed that the article linked was from The Sun

I mean c'mon now, you might as well quote the Beano for all the integrity and accuracy you're going to derive from the British tabloids.

At the time of posting the thread , it was the sun that was carrying the story.
If you read byte's post , 6 above yours you will see the Sky News link.

poisonated

drunkmonkey wrote: »

he brought the kids into this word, he probably busted his balls trying to put food on the table, just cause the courts decided the crime deserved punishment dosen't mean it's correct, politically maybe but not morally....

what would you hand down if your were the Judge?

If it was me i'd probably hand the guy some kleenex and offer some councelling services....

I completely agree with you,no matter how drunk you are.He was just living his life having a bit of fun with the kids travelling at 80 miles per hour which isnt that fast and an accident happened.I feel sorry for the guy and do not in any way feel that his prison sentance is too short.He will always be in prison in his mind.

Sharpshooter

poisonated wrote: »

I completely agree with you,no matter how drunk you are.He was just living his life having a bit of fun with the kids travelling at 80 miles per hour which isnt that fast and an accident happened.I feel sorry for the guy and do not in any way feel that his prison sentance is too short.He will always be in prison in his mind.

Just a snippet from the sky news article:
"I know in my heart that everything I did, from the moment I saw the Transit van to getting the last child out, I did everything I could for them," he said.


The trouble is , it was everything he did before he took them on that drive , that led to their deaths.

The guy's life has been ruined.. he knows he has killed his four children.


If prison is meant to rehabilitate, what's the use of it in this case? So he won't drive a modified land rover at speed with his kids again?



He didn't mean to kill his kids, 2 years is adequate. He can do more good outside prison than in it.

johnnyskeleton

It warms my heart to see that AH is not entirely composed of the "hang em, damn em, we don't want to hear the facts" brigade.

Sometimes accidents happen. Judges have to decide what has to be done in the particular circumstances. It is not a simple equation of 4 children are dead, therefore someone has to pay. 2 years is quite a long time in prison by the way, even though the media would portray it as a 2 year holiday by the sea.

the PC brigade here who have never made a mistake in their lives is infuriating.

ya online, you can have this persona of the perfect citizen and hand out judgement.. but if you knew this guy, were part of his family or had any involvement in the case, i can guarantee you wouldn't think he deserved any more than 2 years.

but no, ye are on an internet forum being perfect citizens so of course you can say 2 years isn't enough time behind bars for a man who lost everything in his whole life.

Sharpshooter

Deleted User wrote: »

The guy's life has been ruined.. he knows he has killed his four children.


If prison is meant to rehabilitate, what's the use of it in this case? So he won't drive a modified land rover at speed with his kids again?



He didn't mean to kill his kids, 2 years is adequate. He can do more good outside prison than in it.

He knew he was driving a vehicle that was not road worthy.
He still packed them all in and drove at a speed that made it impossible to avoid an oncoming minibus, without swerving hard and killing 4 of his kids.
Whether he meant it or not , they are dead because of his actions.
If he hadn't modified his land rover with parts from 4 other vehicles , would they still be alive?

Sky News:
The court was told the accident happened because the car had been recklessly modified to improve its performance for off-road driving.

Again , I am only saying , that 6 months for each child somehow cheapens the worth of those lives.

K-9

This really should go in the false economy thread!

Sorry, what a twat!

I love the way some will defend this. The "say anything to be controversial, therefore I'm Non Pc brigade".

are prisons not meant to rehabilitate criminals or keep dangerous people out of society?


what good does throwing this man in prison do? i'm sure the hell he is going through inside his own head is enough punishment.


it doesn't cheapen their lives except in the eyes of people like you, tbh.

Sharpshooter

Seanies32 wrote: »

This really should go in the false economy thread!

Sorry, what a twat!

I love the way some will defend this. The "say anything to be controversial, therefore I'm Non Pc brigade".

Explanation?

Seanies32

Seanies32 wrote: »

This really should go in the false economy thread!

Sorry, what a twat!

I love the way some will defend this. The "say anything to be controversial, therefore I'm Non Pc brigade".

posting ability out the window after midnight? what does that mean?

Heckler

Nobody sets out in a car or whatever with the intention to kill their owns kids. Accidents will happen. It is a terrible tragedy. Blame will be put on him with regard to the vehicle modification, safe carrying capacity.

Can anyone here honestly say that they havent seen a child unsecured in a back seat and has stayed quiet ? Invariably standing up between the 2 front seats and nobody says a word because you would have the face eaten off you. I see it every day. Usually an 08 suv outside a school, driven by a blond midthirties woman, dropping a 12year old off at school and a 5 year old hanging off the 2 seats. It drives (excuse the pun) me mad. Am I going to say anything ? No. Because all i'll be told is to **** off and mind my own business. Be it on their heads then if anything happens.

Same with people who have large dogs loose in cars. A flying dog will do just as much damage as a small child. Idiots the lot.

K-9

Its cool to be Non PC.

Sharpshooter

Heckler wrote: »

Nobody sets out in a car or whatever with the intention to kill their owns kids. Accidents will happen. It is a terrible tragedy. Blame will be put on him with regard to the vehicle modification, safe carrying capacity.

And so it should.
I would hope that most people would have a regular MOT test on their car or LandRover.
He obviously didn't think this applied to him.
Let's face it , the Land Rover would not have passed.