THE WIDOW of a man killed on Christmas Eve by a speeding driver is backing calls to slow down motorists.

Ray Tutton, a Branksome father and lift engineer, was killed by Malaysian chef Peter Chen on a pedestrian crossing last year as he left the Branksome Railway Hotel.

Chen, who was sentenced to three years and four months, was rushing back to a casino to place another bet.

Mr Tutton’s wife Liz, who was with him when he was hit, has signed up to a campaign fronted by road safety charity Brake to keep drivers at 20mph in residential areas.

Mrs Tutton, who was married to her husband for 19 years, said: “My husband’s death was, and still is, utterly devastating and completely needless.

“Ray has a huge family, and his death has affected all of us and every aspect of our lives. It’s hard to put into words, but the whole family miss him being there terribly.

“He was such a bubbly, happy man who constantly made people laugh. He woke up every morning with a glint in his eye, and you never knew what was going to happen next.”

On the first anniversary of her husband’s death this year, Mrs Tutton said she will return to the Branksome Railway Hotel.

“We were celebrating the sixth anniversary of our friend Hannah taking over the pub that night,” she said.

“This Christmas Eve, we’ll be celebrating the seventh year for Hannah, and thinking about Ray.”

Mrs Tutton said she hopes Chen, who is battling deportation, will be forced to leave the country.

“I was actually happy with the sentence he got – it was short, but the judge gave him the maximum amount of time the guidelines allow for that,” she said.

“He could have been out within a couple of months. |He’s appealing to stay in the country, but I hope it all goes through and he gets deported. That would be a proper punishment.”

Mrs Tutton said her husband, who she calls “a complete nut-case”, is missed by his friends and family.

“We had exactly the same sense of humour, and we laughed our way through everything,” she said.

“Because of the crash, Ray couldn’t be there for his daughter’s prom and her leaving school.

“Drivers need to respect speed limits, and slow right down to 20mph around homes, schools, and shops, even when they think it’s quiet and no one is about. Please think about the devastation you could cause and make a personal commitment now to slow down.”

Brake’s campaign, Go 20, is calling for more local authorities to implement 20mph limits in built-up areas, and for drivers to pledge to travel at that speed in those areas even when the limit is 30mph.