A person convicted of causing death by dangerous driving is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.
[2] Disqualification for a minimum of two years is obligatory on conviction.
[3] Endorsement is obligatory on conviction.
[4] The offence carries three to eleven
penalty points (when the defendant is exceptionally not disqualified).
[5]
The
Court of Appeal in R v Cooksley and others
[6] gave guidelines for cases where death is caused by dangerous driving. In R v Richardson
[7] the
Court of Appeal reassessed the starting point set out in R v Cooksley taking into consideration the increase in the maximum penalty. The relevant starting points identified in Cooksley should be reassessed as follows:
i) No aggravating circumstances – twelve months to two years' imprisonment (previously 18 months);
ii) Intermediate culpability - two to four and a half years' imprisonment (previously 3 years);
iii) Higher culpability – four and a half to seven years' imprisonment (previously 5 years);
iv) Most serious culpability – seven to fourteen years' imprisonment (previous starting point of 6 years).
