A 22 year-old Douglas woman has been jailed for two years and nine months for causing the deaths, by dangerous driving, of a father and son.

Lyndsay Anne Bates, of Cronk-y-Berry, was last month convicted of causing the deaths of 54 year-old John Fieldhouse and his 24 year-old son Roland, both from Ramsey.

They were killed in a collision on the Mountain Road in November 2005.

At Douglas courthouse this lunchtime (Friday), Acting Deemster Montgomery said there were no grounds for imposing a suspended sentence and imposed a jail term of 33 months, for both offences, to run concurrently.

Bates was also banned from driving for three and a half years.

James Davis reports (audio file attached):

Acting Deemster Montgomery said no sentence the court imposed, nor any sympathy it expressed, could reconcile the family for their loss or their anguish.

And, he added, the value of two lives could in no way be reflected in any sentence.

He told the court he had considered both the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as a social inquiry report, and admitted it had not been an easy case to sentence.

He considered Bates’ remorse to be genuine and accepted the ordeal would live with her for the rest of her life.

However, he said Bates was driving beyond her ability and in a dangerous way which had cost the lives of two others.

He said anything other than a custodial sentence would send out the wrong sentencing message but he bore in mind the mental effects prison could have on Bates, when determining the length of sentence – 33 months.

Acting Deemster Montgomery concluded by saying while he couldn’t alleviate any suffering, he hoped the conclusion of court proceedings would assist those affected in coming to terms with what had happened.