The mother of Nailsea teenager killed in a car crash ‘prays her life won’t last much longer’.
Caroline Gould was speaking after 23-year-old James Bisset was jailed on Monday for seven and half years.
He was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle while above the legal alcohol limit, driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a controlled drug over the specified limit and possession of a class A drug (cocaine).
His actions on Valentine’s Day last year killed Mr Gould and left Matthew Thompson from Yatton with severe injuries.
Ms Gould said: “Since Alex’s death it’s as if my life and time have stayed still. I’m so proud of Alex. He was a wonderful person.
“My life is just an existence now and I pray it won’t last much longer. The loss is unimaginable.
“As a family we are pleased the criminal proceedings have come to an end although it offers no comfort or closure for us.
“The devastation and pain of losing Alex will be with us for the rest of our lives but as a family we will now try to move forward but always with sadness and heartbreak.
“The family would like to thank Dr Walton and his team at Southmead who treated Alex, and all our family and friends who have supported us through these difficult times.”
Mr Thompson had to stay in hospital for five and half months to recvoer after being catapulted over a garden wall during the crash.
He was put into an induced coma, suffered a serious head injury, multiple fractures to his skull, bleeding on the brain and two punctured lungs.
His parents Jo and Ian Thompson said: ““Matthew is a different person now and we will always be concerned for what lies ahead.
“As parents we will never feel the sentence is sufficient due to the considerable impact of loss of life and serious injury caused.
“Our stress and anxiety and sorrow will not leave us but at least we can now try to look forward, remembering Alex in our hearts and helping Matt to rebuild his life.
“We want to thank all those that have helped throughout, in particular Megan and Mattias, close family and friends, staff at Southmead Hospital, the brain injury rehabilitation unit and head injury therapy unit at Frenchay Hospital and the police and legal services.”
Bisset was jailed at Bristol Crown Court on Monday.
Charles Rowe, defending, said Bisset’s remorse was ‘genuine and heartfelt’.
He added: “He struggles to imagine he’ll ever deserve to experience any future happiness, resolving to be the best person he can in honour of the young life that was lost.”
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