Telford parents fighting to lengthen prison sentence of driver who killed their son

Jayden-Lee McIvor, of Telford, was hit by a teenage driver who lived on his street while at a pelican crossing in Haybridge Road, Hadley.

His killer, 19-year-old Raja Khan, of Hurleybrook Way, Leegomery, was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institute after admitting causing death by dangerous driving. But Khan was told he will only serve around one year after receiving a 20 per cent reduction for his early guilty plea, as well as a further reduction for a good character.

Jayden-Lee's parents, Ross McIvor and Rachael Joules, have written to the Attorney General asking to appeal the length of his term.

"I want him to serve six years," said Mr McIvor, 34. "He deserves double."

Ms Joules said: "When I heard he would be out in a year the first thing that came to my head was – it's been a year since Jayden died, so in the same amount of time that's already gone by, his killer is going to be out.

"He lives on our street so we are not going to have time to start grieving or processing what's happened before we see him again.

"He was bailed to our street and that was difficult enough but we did not make a fuss about it. We just wanted to do everything properly by law in the hope of getting justice for Jayden.

"But the sentence he got feels like an insult."

Mr McIvor said: "My main issue is with the reduction. I understand three years is average in these circumstances but he's only going to serve a year."

Ms Joules, who works at Burger King at the Welcome Break Services in Shifnal, said: "A young offender's institute to me is no more than a children's home.

"They are not in prison locked up. They can mix with each other and play computer games.

"Giving him 20 years is not going to bring Jayden back but we wouldn't feel so insulted," said the 29-year-old mother-of-three.

The couple are expecting to hear from the Attorney General this month as to whether they are granted the right to appeal the sentence.

Today they spoke for the first time of the moment they rushed to their young son's aid.

They recalled how their "clever and caring" nine-year old died after he had left the family home in Hurleybrook Way, Leegomery, Telford, to buy groceries at around 3pm on February 2 last year.

The pupil at Millbrook Primary School in Leegomery pressed the button at a pelican crossing and waited.

A silver Citroën stopped but was then hit from behind by Raja Khan's red Ford Focus, which then careered off and hit Jayden-Lee.

Despite having a clear 110 metre view of the pelican crossing lights, Khan did not notice they had changed, or even that the car in front had stopped. The court was told that there had been an element of aggressive driving and witnesses had seen Khan racing up behind their cars and then dropping back.

Ms Joules, 29, was working at McDonald's in Telford Town Centre when she received a phone call from Ross.

"He said Jayden has been hit by a car," said Ms Joules. "I didn't say anything but I must have turned white because my boss ushered me off the shop floor. Ross said he was going to the Princess Royal Hospital but I rang the hospital and the woman said the boy is still on scene, he's too sick to move.

"She advised me to stay where I was but there was no way I was doing that. I had to get to him. I knew there was only one road Jayden was allowed to cross on his own so I asked my boss to take me there. When I got there I saw Jayden's coat on the top of a car. I said, that's my son's coat, and they let me in the back of the ambulance.

"What I saw when I got in will live with me forever. There were eight or nine people around him trying to resuscitate him. I looked at him and I almost knew he had gone. I couldn't bear to be in there so I ran outside screaming. I remember one of the shopkeepers picking me up off the floor. That's when Ross came from the hospital.

"Between me getting out of the ambulance and Ross arriving they had pronounced him dead. They had to stop trying."

Mr McIvor said: "I just wanted to hug him. I wanted to see him. I said to them, don't tell his mum, I need to do that. He's my child and as a father there's only a few things you can do."

Now all the couple have left of their eldest son are happy memories and photographs, which have become their most treasured possession.

"Photos have become so precious because it's all we have left now so they are backed up everywhere, on both our phones, our computers, friends' computers, everywhere," said Ms Joules.

"I'd never let the family album out of the house," she said, scrolling through photos which she carries around with her everywhere on her mobile phone.

"I took this one of his the day before he died," she said, gazing at a photo of Jayden-Lee fresh in through the door after a day at Millbrook Primary School, caught by surprise with his coat still on.

"I said, Jayden I love you, and he looked up and I took it," she smiled. "And this is the first one we took of him when he had just been born," she said, bringing up a picture of the pink wrinkly little bundle of joy. "He had a full head of hair," she said.

Another picture of Jayden-Lee sat among daffodils is particularly poignant as his favourite flower has been adopted by friends and family as a symbol of his life.

"He was always very kind and thoughtful and I know a lot of parents say this about their children, but he was very intelligent," said Ms Joules.

"His reports were always A for effort and A for attainment. He did a literacy and numeracy course at Telford College of Arts and Technology for gifted and talented pupils.

"Everyone at the college loved him. He loved school.

Jayden-Lee had an old head on young shoulders and was a caring big brother to his siblings Jessica, nine and James, six, she said.

"James has got very severe autism and has the mental age of an eight-month-old baby," explained Ms Joules.

"Jayden was a Telford & Wrekin young carer and would do anything for James. And he and Jessica were like twins when it comes to closeness."

Exclusive by Jennifer Meierhans