A FATHER-OF-TWO has been jailed after causing the death of a teenage motorcyclist by driving without insurance.
Garry Boote is starting a four-month sentence today following the incident on Kidsgrove Bank in September.
Seventeen-year-old James Wain lost control of his Aprilla motorcycle and died instantly in the head-on collision with Boote's Citroen.
Boote, of Queen Street, Kidsgrove, had been without motor insurance for two months.
He appeared at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court for sentencing yesterday after pleading guilty to causing death by driving without insurance.
It was the first case of its kind in Staffordshire since new laws targeting uninsured drivers were introduced in 2008.
Sabrina Naz, prosecuting, told the court that at 7.30pm on September 1, Boote had been travelling home from work.
James, of Groby Road, Crewe, was riding down Kidsgrove Bank in the opposite direction to Boote.
His bike veered across the centre line on a bend, fell on to its side and slid across the road towards the Citroen.
There was no suggestion Boote was speeding or driving dangerously, and he passed a breathalyser test.
But the court heard that he had cancelled his insurance on July 1, as he could no longer afford it.
Heather Drew, mitigating, said Boote felt genuine remorse over what had happened.
She said: "Had Mr Boote not been on the road at the time, the accident may still have occurred, as another vehicle was travelling directly behind.
"Mr Boote understands how grave the matter is. This will stay with him for life. He thinks about it every day. He does not try to minimise his actions."
Ms Drew argued that Boote's offending was at the lower end of the scale, meaning a community sentence could be appropriate.
But District Judge David Taylor ruled that as the defendant had been driving home from work at the time of the accident, he had gained financially by driving without insurance.
This meant he had to pass a custodial sentence.
Judge Taylor said: "You drove your car every day for work, so your offending was for personal gain, namely your wages.
"You chose not to pay for insurance, but you must have chosen to pay for other things."
James' mother, Glenda, believed Boote should have received a longer sentence.
The 44-year-old, of Groby Road, Crewe, pictured left, said: "This isn't justice. He'll be out of prison in eight weeks and be able to enjoy his life with his children. I'll never get my son back.
"I might not bother renewing my insurance, knowing that I'll only get two months if I accidentally kill someone. This isn't a deterrent at all."
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