Parents of kids killed by hit-and-run driver slam sentence

Parents of kids killed by hit-and-run driver slam sentence

The bereft parents of an 11-year-old girl killed along with her cousin in a hit-and-run crash have slammed the 'failed' British justice system over the 'laughable' sentence handed to their daughter's killer.

Gabor Hegedus, a convicted criminal in his native Hungary, mowed down Zaneta Krokova and 12-year-old Helena Kotlarova as they crossed the road to get crisps from the shops on New Year's Eve last year. He was jailed for four years but could be out on parole in two.

Zaneta's mother, 34, also named Zaneta, said: 'In my opinion the justice system in England failed completely. That sentence for the lives of our children! 

 Zaneta's mother, 34, also named Zaneta, and her husband Milan have said they are serving a 'life sentence' after their daughter was killed

Helena Kotlorova (left), 12, and Zaneta Krokova (right), 11, were killed when Hegedus ploughed his car into the pair as they crossed the road in Oldham

'They prepared us that it could end up like this but we never believed that the judge could decide this way. He's only got two years for taking away two human lives. It's not right.' 

Zaneta's father Milan, 34, said: 'We expected a harsher sentence. When we heard, we were disgusted.'

He pointed out that Hegedus had served a longer sentence for a lesser crime in his native Hungary.

Hegedus, who served a five-year jail sentence in 2000 for robbery and aggravated battery and was given a suspended sentence for car theft and counterfeiting money before moving to the UK in 2007, mowed down the youngsters as they crossed a road in Oldham on New Year's Eve. 

Zaneta said of Hegedus: 'I know sometimes accidents happen but the way he behaved wasn't like a human being. He could have braked. He could have stopped. He had no mercy. Why should we have mercy for him? He knew very well what he did. He could have stopped. He wanted to destroy evidence.'

Talking about her daughter, the mother added: 'She was an extremely clever and good girl. Our lives have collapsed. It's very difficult to live with. The criminal justice system doesn't understand what happened to us.' 

The Attorney General is considering whether the four-year jail sentence handed to hit-and-run killer Gabor Hegedus is 'unduly lenient'. 

Hegedus had originally been charged with death by dangerous driving, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years behind bars. 

Hegedus was given a five-year jail sentence in 2000 for robbery and aggravated battery and was given a suspended sentence for car theft and counterfeiting money before moving to the UK in 2007

Yet the prosecution feared they may not be able to convince a jury, so accepted ihs guilty plea on the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving, which carries a maximum five year sentence.

The chief legal advisor to the Crown Prosecution Service has a month to decide whether the case is sent to the Court of Appeal.  

But the killer admitted to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice which attracts a maximum life sentence.

Richard Biggs, of law firm Irwin Mitchell which represented the families, said: 'For Zaneta and Helena's family, losing their little girls is a life sentence, so seeing the man responsible f or their deaths receive just four years is incredibly difficult to bear.

'In cases like this, we meticulously review the evidence heard by the courts, but the threshold to challenge a sentence can be incredibly difficult to meet and could potentially have the opposite affect to what the family is trying to achieve.'  

Helena died at the scene while Zaneta passed away two days later in hospital, while their killer was given four years behind bars, but will likely be released on licence after two.  

Hegedus had served a longer sentence for a lesser crime in his native Hungary

She added: 'He's only got two years for taking away two human lives. It's not right.'

Helena's mother labeled the sentence as 'laughable' and spoke of her heartbreak of losing her daughter.

She said: 'When she was at home there was so much laughter. The house is now quiet.'

The young girls, whose families had moved to Britain from the Czech Republic in 2010, were holding hands as they crossed the road to the shops, but were ploughed down by the convicted criminal just two steps away from the pavement.

Helena harboured hopes of appearing on Britain's Got Talent as a singer, while her cousin Zaneta wanted to become an actress.

Judge John Potter sentenced Hegedus last week a fter the defendant pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, failing to stop after a collision, failing to report a collision, driving without a licence and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The killer, who had been overtaking another car before driving away from the scene, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, failing to stop after a collision, failing to report a collision, driving without a licence and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Hegedus, who was speeding at 40mph on a 30mph road before slowing down to just below the speed limit before the moment of the collision, shaved off his beard in an attempt to avoid capture. Along with the other three passengers - all of whom were convicted criminals from Hungary - washed the car with bleach and dumped the Peugeot 807 before reporting it stolen. 

Gabor Hegedus, 38, of Oldham has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, driving without a licence, failing to stop after a collision and failing to report the collision

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