Wife's fury at drunk driver's sentence (From Bournemouth Echo)

Wife's fury at drunk driver's sentence

8:32am Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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DAVID Whittaker is likely to walk out of prison in 21 months time after serving half of his three-and-a-half year sentence.

But his victim Sam Fairbrother will never walk again – paralysed for life by the injuries he suffered after alcohol-fuelled Whittaker crashed into his motorcycle last autumn.

Sam’s career, teaching autistic adults, has been cut short by his devastating injuries. His spinal cord was severed, his kidneys and liver crushed and he suffered four broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

But, despite the odds, the father-of-three clung to life and regained consciousness, defying medics who told his wife Kerry-Anne there was no hope and who suggested turning off his life support machine Sam left Southampton Hospital on November 23 – his 36th birthday – and was transferred to Odstock Hospital. Just four weeks ago he was finally reunited with his family who have moved into a bungalow in Verwood.

For Kerry-Anne, who was in court yesterday to see Whittaker being sentenced, justice hasn’t been done.

Fighting back tears she said: “Whittaker should have got ten years and spent another ten doing voluntary work in a spinal unit to see the terrible effects of what he has done.

“He will have his liberty but Sam will never be free to play with our children again.

“We had hoped to be parents again but that can’t happen now. When he comes out Whittaker, who has never even apologised to us, can get another job, have a family and carry on as normal – life, for us, will never be normal again.

“It’s not the judge’s fault, it’s the system that’s to blame and I intend to write to David Cameron and ask him, as a family man, to change the law.”

Bournemouth Crown Court heard how Whittaker had been shown photographs of the Fairbrothers before and after the tragedy.

His barrister James Newton-Price said: “He found that a very chastening and distressing experience.”

Earlier this year the Daily Echo revealed the family’s plight after Sam was told he would have to move into an old people’s home if they could not find somewhere suitable for him to live.

Their rented home was unsuitable for wheelchairs and they refused an offer of accommodation from East Dorset Housing Association following confirmation from police that two paedophiles lived nearby.

Sam’s discharge from hospital was delayed until a Daily Echo reader, the father of one of Sam’s pupils, suggested that a vacant bungalow in Verwood could become their home.

After stating that the property was unsuitable for the family the housing association finally offered the property as temporary accommodation.

Kerry-Anne said: “At least we’ve got a home now and we are together again.

“It’s all thanks to the Echo but it’s only a short-term arrangement and not ideal.

“Sam hasn’t been able to have a bath since he moved back to the bungalow because he can’t sit up in the bath and we have not been provided with a bath board.

“We have been given a special mattress but not a bed so we are having to sleep on the mattress in the front room.

“Sam had to be fed for the first three months, he is now having to learn to dress himself and will never be able to be the father he had hoped to be.

“We have been living off £118 a week tax credits. Our phone and TV was cut off because we couldn’t afford to pay any bills for eight months.

“The children have been badly affected. Every night our two sons stand outside the front door to protect us from the bad man who hurt Daddy.”

Sam’s brother, Justin Clark, said: “The justice system seems to be divorced from reality. The sentence handed out to Whittaker does not reflect what he has done to our family. Because of him Sam has lost his liberty and self-respect for life.”