Sentence reductions should be less 'generous' - MP

Automatic sentence reductions for criminals who plead guilty should be less "generous" when there is no question of guilt, a Conservative MP has said.

Offenders who plead guilty at the first available opportunity are given a discount of one-third under current sentencing guidelines.

However, the family of 19-year-old Bethany Branson are calling for change after she was killed in a crash near Bridgwater, in Somerset, in November 2022. Driver Luke Hawkes, who ran a red light before the crash, was jailed for 10 years.

Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox is backing the family's calls, but the Ministry of Justice declined to comment.

In body-worn footage taken by police after the crash, Hawkes was heard saying "hopefully I killed them" and "she deserved it".

He later admitted to causing Ms Branson's death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen, and was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court in January 2023.

Ms Branson's mother, Amy Branson, has argued the sentence given to Hawkes was not severe enough and has called for judges to be offered a scale of reductions.

"He'd had an accident up the road, and he had chosen to get back in his car and drive off, and he'd chosen to go through red lights, and he had chosen to do the speed he was doing," she said.

"To me, this is manslaughter. He should have received a harsher sentence for what he has done."

Sir Ashley, MP for Bridgwater, said: "You can quite see why the courts would wish to reduce sentences for guilty pleas.

"It saves victims having to give evidence, and it saves the court and the police the time and trouble of prosecuting.

"But I think what [the family] would argue, and I would agree with them, is that there should be some flexibility on the part of the judge."

He added: "When you've actually been found at the seat of the van that's just crashed ... and you've recorded a confession, your chance of acquittal is close to zero, isn't it?"

He continued: "I'm not saying that this individual should get no discount for pleading guilty, but I'm not sure, I think a third is too generous and that is what we should be discussing."

Sir Ashley asked for a debate on sentencing policy during business questions in the House of Commons last month.

Responding, Commons Leader Lucy Powell said her heart goes out to Ms Branson's family.

She added: "We've currently got a sentencing review taking place, there will be updates coming forward to this House, there will be further legislation on some of these matters where he could raise them further.

The Sentencing Council has said it has "no plans to review the guideline".

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