*.*
Luis Balcazar-Soto, 24 of Law Street, Southwark, SE1, appeared at Southwark
Crown Court on Tuesday, 1 November where he was sentenced to nine years
imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving and three years’
imprisonment for causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The sentences
are to run concurrently.
He was also sentenced to nine months imprisonment for breach of a
restraining order and breach of a suspended sentence. This will run
consecutively to the driving offences.
A number of matters including driving under the influence of alcohol,
driving without a licence, driving without insurance and speeding will lie
on file.
*The case was heard before Judge Taylor who summarised Soto’s actions
saying*: “You are 24-years-old, you don’t have a driving licence and you
have an appalling record for driving offences in the past. I have heard
very moving victim impact statements from Sophie’s family who expressed
their intense pain and deep loss.
“She was 31 years old – a life you have now denied her from having. Your
actions have had a devastating effect. This was a prolonged course of bad
driving with disregard of danger to others and with experience of being
before the courts – on this occasion you continued, with consequences. This
was aggravated by previous offending and consumption of alcohol plus
serious injury to others. You drove with alcohol, without a driving licence
and no insurance.”
Police were called at 4.10am on Sunday, 10 July, to reports of a car in
collision with a pedicab on New Kent Road, SE1.
Officers attended the location along with the London Ambulance Service. At
the scene a car had been in collision with a pedicab.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, the pedicab passenger,
31-year-old, Sophie Strickland, who was from Wales, was sadly pronounced
dead at the scene.
The car driver, Soto, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by
dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was
charged on Monday, 11 July with – causing death by dangerous driving,
causing injury by dangerous driving, causing death while driving without a
licence, causing death by driving while uninsured and breach of a
restraining order.
*Investigating officer Detective Constable Janine Andrews* *of the Met’s
Serious Collision Investigation Unit* said: “This has been a harrowing
ordeal for Sophie’s family and loved ones. My thought are very much with
them.
“A driving licence and use of our highways is a responsibility and a
privilege –those who don’t think that law applies to them and those who
care little for the safety of others have no business driving any vehicle.
“It is right that Soto has received a significant sentence for the loss his
reckless behaviour has inflicted on Sophie’s family – my thoughts are with
them.”
Luis Balcazar-Soto, 24 of Law Street, Southwark, SE1, appeared at Southwark
Crown Court on Tuesday, 1 November where he was sentenced to nine years
imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving and three years’
imprisonment for causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The sentences
are to run concurrently.
He was also sentenced to nine months imprisonment for breach of a
restraining order and breach of a suspended sentence. This will run
consecutively to the driving offences.
A number of matters including driving under the influence of alcohol,
driving without a licence, driving without insurance and speeding will lie
on file.
*The case was heard before Judge Taylor who summarised Soto’s actions
saying*: “You are 24-years-old, you don’t have a driving licence and you
have an appalling record for driving offences in the past. I have heard
very moving victim impact statements from Sophie’s family who expressed
their intense pain and deep loss.
“She was 31 years old – a life you have now denied her from having. Your
actions have had a devastating effect. This was a prolonged course of bad
driving with disregard of danger to others and with experience of being
before the courts – on this occasion you continued, with consequences. This
was aggravated by previous offending and consumption of alcohol plus
serious injury to others. You drove with alcohol, without a driving licence
and no insurance.”
Police were called at 4.10am on Sunday, 10 July, to reports of a car in
collision with a pedicab on New Kent Road, SE1.
Officers attended the location along with the London Ambulance Service. At
the scene a car had been in collision with a pedicab.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, the pedicab passenger,
31-year-old, Sophie Strickland, who was from Wales, was sadly pronounced
dead at the scene.
The car driver, Soto, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by
dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. He was
charged on Monday, 11 July with – causing death by dangerous driving,
causing injury by dangerous driving, causing death while driving without a
licence, causing death by driving while uninsured and breach of a
restraining order.
*Investigating officer Detective Constable Janine Andrews* *of the Met’s
Serious Collision Investigation Unit* said: “This has been a harrowing
ordeal for Sophie’s family and loved ones. My thought are very much with
them.
“A driving licence and use of our highways is a responsibility and a
privilege –those who don’t think that law applies to them and those who
care little for the safety of others have no business driving any vehicle.
“It is right that Soto has received a significant sentence for the loss his
reckless behaviour has inflicted on Sophie’s family – my thoughts are with
them.”
