Caerphilly: Crash victim's mum wants killer's sentence increased

The mother of a 17-year-old girl killed in a car crash says she hopes the driver's sentence will be increased after it was referred to the Court of Appeal.

Danielle O'Halloran said her own family is serving a "life sentence" following the death of daughter Chloe Hayman.

Keilan Roberts, 22, was jailed for three years and nine months for killing Chloe, his passenger, in July 2022.

Roberts' sentence will be scrutinised by judges in September.

Chloe, from Mountain Ash, was a passenger in the Skoda Octavio which crashed in Fochriw, Caerphilly county, after the pair had been on a night out.

In June, Cardiff Crown Court heard that driver Roberts took ketamine, cocaine and ecstasy and was over the drink-drive limit when the crash happened while taking Chloe home.

He admitted four charges including causing death by careless driving.

But Ms O'Halloran does not think his sentence will be a deterrent to other drink or drug-drivers.

The family contacted the Attorney General for England and Wales to complain about the length of prison time given to Roberts before the appeal was launched.

"I just don't think the sentence was long enough," she said.

"It's not enough time to sit and think about your actions.

"I hope me and her dad can continue fighting and hopefully change something about how sentencing is looked at.

"We've been given a life sentence of not having our daughter in our lives."

During Roberts' sentencing in June, Ms O'Halloran turned to him in court and said: "I do forgive you. I just want you to learn."

She said forgiveness had helped her cope with the trauma. "For you to be able to move forward and make the best of your situation, you can't be in fear or anger with somebody else in control of that.

"I don't want to feel negative towards people because I don't think that'll help me in the long run."

The grieving mother is speaking out as part of Gwent Police's drink and drug road safety campaign.

"If that's what I can do for Chloe - just to try and help this from happening again - then I'll do what I can," she said.

Giving a message to young people, she continued: "Plan your night out. Plan how you're going to get home. For anyone thinking of driving, keep your cars at home. Get a taxi."

She added that teenagers should call their parents for a lift in the early hours of the morning before getting into a car with someone who is intoxicated

"As much as we don't want to be doing that, sometimes it can save lives," she said.

"There's more to life than going out anyway. Find your happiness without alcohol.

"I wouldn't want to put this pain on anyone. Unless you feel the pain you're never going to understand it."

Ms O'Halloran said she is reminded of Chloe by everyday tasks, songs they sang, and places they loved to go together.

"Just imagine doing all those things that made you happy and feeling completely broken," she said.

"It definitely changes you as a person."

Additional reporting by Nelli Bird