Clifton James was killed when Mishal Alshammary failed to see him and proceeded through a mini roundabout without slowing down, striking him as he did so.
Alshammary was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and in February 2017, shortly before the start of his trial, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving. This was accepted by prosecutors. Judge Anthony Bate deferred sentencing and advised Alshammary to be prepared for a custodial sentence.
However, at sentencing in May 2017, Bate suspended Alshammary’s four-month sentence for a year, allowing him to walk free. He also applied 300 hours of unpaid work and a driving ban of 15 months, a little above the minimum.