Crash victim's mum: 'I want justice for my daughter'

The mother of a teenager killed in a crash on a rural road in Dorset said she has been denied justice for her daughter.

Eighteen-year-old Laionie Kennard died in 2023 when the car she was a passenger in left Hurn Road between Matchams and Ringwood.

The driver, 20-year-old Joseph Pickett from Lyneham in Wiltshire, was given a 10-month suspended sentence last month at Poole Magistrates' Court.

Laionie's parents are frustrated evidence they had from her phone was not allowed to be used in court.

Accident investigators showed Pickett's car was travelling between 43 and 54mph - the area where the crash happened has a limit of 30mph.

But Kelly Kennard was able to track her daughter's journey via an app, used by many parents of teenagers, called Life 360.

After the crash, she purchased the extended information, which she said showed Laionie travelling at speeds of up to 80mph on the evening of the crash.

That could be considered dangerous driving, but Pickett was prosecuted for careless driving, which carries a much lesser sentence.

In court, Mrs Kennard said she was told the app was not reliable for evidence purposes.

She said: "Laionie has lost her whole life, her dreams, all her plans taken away, our lives are ruined.

"He should have a custodial sentence, for him to be able to go back to his job in the army, it's a joke, it's not right."

Dorset Police said the Life 360 data was submitted along with the Forensic Collision Report to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The force added it has an obligation to ensure the evidence used can stand up to scrutiny and be challenged in court so needed to ensure its accuracy in all cases.

"In this matter, the defendant made admissions to driving over the speed limit, which was supported by the detailed Forensic Collision Report. This was not challenged by the defence in court," police said.

The CPS said police were given early investigative advice regarding the Life 360 app, suggesting an approach was made to the company to see if could be provided as evidence but, ultimately, the force's collision report did not rely on this data as a tool for speed analysis.

In a letter to the Kennard family, it said the defendant's standard of driving was "just below" the threshold for dangerous driving.

It said Pickett's early guilty plea and previous good character was taken into account for sentencing.

Mrs Kennard is now delivering stickers to shops in the Verwood area to raise awareness of her "justice for Laionie" campaign.

She has joined other bereaved parents from the RoadPeace campaign calling for tougher sentences for those who cause a death on the road and lifetime driving bans for those convicted.

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