Paul Vines: Father who killed his 12-year-old son in high-speed car crash walks free as wife urges court not to jail him
LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND: A father, who caused the death of his 12-year-old son in a crash due to dangerous driving, walked free from the court on Monday, March 27, after the boy's mother urged the judge not to jail him. Paul Vines, 47, was said to have lost control when he was speeding over the 60mph limit and ignoring road signs warning of the uneven surface which led to a collision with another car. He was driving his son Edward in his Ford Galaxy to a football match for his local youth football team in Bardney, Lincolnshire.
Edward, known as Ted, died of a head injury in the car crash while the passenger, Victoria Frost, in the other car which was a Mercedes A220 suffered life-changing injuries to her spine and ankle. Frost also joined Paul’s wife Sarah Vines' in a plea for him to be spared prison. Sarah fought back tears as she read out her own victim impact statement at Lincoln Crown Court, as per the Daily Mail. She insisted the sentencing judge not jail her husband because of the emotional and physical support he has given her and their three surviving children.
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'He will never be able to forgive himself'
"Nobody and no one will ever be able to hurt me more than the death of my darling Teddy other than to watch what my beautiful three children are going through," Sarah told the court, adding, "Paul is a very hands-on dad who has never been away from his children for more than one night. I know he is truly sorry for what happened. I know he will never be able to forgive himself." She paid a tribute to her son as she read out: "Ted was truly remarkable. It is difficult to put into words how much brilliance shone from one small child."
Frost 'does not want Vines to go to prison'
Paul's wife's plea was also backed up by the headteachers of the two schools attended by the family's other children and the injured passenger in the other vehicle. Prosecutor Stuart Lody told the court: "She (Mrs Frost) does not want Vines to go to prison." Frost also read out her victim impact statement in court in which she added: "I want Vines to know everyone makes mistakes in life and there is no hate to him and my thoughts have been with his family through all of this."
'Ted was loved by everyone'
Paul was sentenced to two years imprisonment for causing the death of his son, a suspended sentence of 18 months imprisonment to run concurrently for causing serious injury to Frost, and a ban from driving during the service. He is also assigned 200 hours of unpaid work. "Had it not been your son in this case who died and had Mrs Frost not been enormously generous in her position, inevitably you would not be walking out of this court today," the judge told him, acording to Daily Mail.
In a statement released after his death, Edwards’s family from Alford said: "Ted was loved by everyone. He was happy, fun and brilliant and had so many people who loved him. Everywhere he went, Ted made friends. He was a special part of the community for everyone."
