Driver who fled to Latvia after killing schoolboy jailed

Driver who fled to Latvia after killing schoolboy jailed

21 minutes ago

Andy Giddings

,

West Midlands

,

Kevin Reide

and

Marian McNamee

,

in Coventry

A speeding driver who fled to Latvia after killing a 12-year-old boy when he hit him at more than 70mph has been jailed.

Aleksanders Dolars evaded capture for Keaton Slater's death for more than two years because there was no extradition treaty between Latvia and the UK post-Brexit.

He was finally brought to justice in August this year when he was brought to England to appear at Warwick Crown Court following a determined campaign by Keaton's parents.

Dolars, 23, was jailed for nine years and four months by Judge Kristina Montgomery KC who told him: "Your selfish and dangerous driving took his life."

The court heard Dolars had been driving at 75-76mph in a 30mph zone when he struck the schoolboy in Coventry, killing him instantly.

Keaton, a devoted Coventry City fan, was travelling home from school with friends on 14 June, 2024, and had just got off a bus.

He had stepped out onto Radford Road and prepared to cross but the court heard he would not have seen Dolars' BMW at that time.

As it approached him he attempted to run out of its way with no success.

Dolars, who bowed his head throughout the hearing, did not stop and fled to his native Latvia within days.

Keaton's mother Louise Slater told the court: "I cannot understand how anyone could leave a child who had just been struck and not stop to help him.

"That knowledge has added another layer of pain to an already unbearable loss."

His father Clint's statement was read out by the prosecution, in which he described arriving at the scene shortly after the collision.

"The fact I that arrived there and saw my son being covered up will haunt me for the rest of my life," he said.

"I don't know if I will ever escape the pain of that moment."

A determined fight

When it emerged Dolars was hiding in Latvia, the Slaters fought to bring him back to face the consequences.

They were supported by Taiwo Owatemi, the MP for Coventry North West, andmet with the Latvian ambassador to get Dolars back to the UK.

In August this year, he was finally extradited and pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving when he was brought before Warwick Crown Court.

It had been thought he could not be compelled to attend the sentencing hearing, but Owatemi said the judge had ordered him to appear in person following representations to the justice minister on the family's behalf.

Keaton's mother described her son as "funny, caring, loving and full of life" and said he "loved football more than anything".

"When Keaton walked out of our door that day, we expected him to come home.

"We never imagined that we were watching him leave for the last time," she said.

"It is not only Keaton who died that day. A part of all of us as a family died with him.

"Our lives changed forever, and nothing will ever be the same again."

She also read out a letter Keaton had written on his first day of secondary school as a letter to his future self.

In it he wrote about his dream of playing for a football team and passing his GCSEs.

The hearing also heard statements from Keaton's brothers, Kai and Josh.

"Losing Keaton has left a space in my heart that can never be filled," Kai said.

"Keaton's death didn't just take away my little brother - I'll never get to see the man he would be.

"Knowing that someone could leave the scene after what happened, I will never understand."

Josh, Keaton's half brother, said he "struggled to comprehend" what happened and was angry Keaton had been taken away.

"The defendant has left a trail of destruction that cannot be repaired and will be with us forever," he said.

Sentencing Dolars, the judge told him: "You must have known you had struck a pedestrian.

"You must have realised he would have been gravely injured."

She also said it was clearly not a "momentary lapse of attention" because immediately before he had been seen cutting in front of cars by using the wrong lane at traffic lights.

Speaking after they left court, the family said they were unhappy with the sentence Aleksanders Dolars received.

"They gave him the maximum they could but it's not enough is it?" his father said.

Louise said that as Dolars would only serve two thirds of his sentence in prison, he would be out in six years.

"I know afterwards he can't drive," she added. "That's good to know - he's not going to be on the roads doing it to another family.

"To be in prison for six years, I think he should've got longer. My baby only had 12 years on this planet."

Det Ch Insp Sam Lewis, who led the investigation, said: "Keaton was a 12-year-old boy, making his way home from school, and he should have been able to arrive back safely."

She said Dolars had been "travelling at excessive speed and rather than stop and help Keaton he just left and tried to avoid capture".

Bringing him to justice had been "extremely complex", she said, but "through plenty of persistence, hard work and patience we finally got there."

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