A teenager almost killed by a drug driver has started a petition after the woman who mowed him down avoided jail time.
Josh Ladd, 16, from Cornwall, suffered catastrophic injuries including a punctured lung and open fractures when he was run over by 37-year-old Julie Wilson who was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs.
She mounted the pavement and smashed into a bus shelter before hitting the college student. As a result of his injuries Josh spent two months in hospital and still cannot walk unaided.
Josh Ladd, 16, (pictured left) suffered catastrophic injuries including a punctured lung and open fractures when he was run over by 37-year-old Julie Wilson (right) who was under the influence of drugs
But Wilson avoided prison after a judge suspended her sentence due to the ‘unusual circumstances’ surrounding the case.
Truro Crown Court heard that she and her partner were being targeted by a gang after they found a large bag of drugs and handed it into the police.
Her solicitor told the court she took drugs to ‘stay awake’ as she was living in fear of the gang who later stabbed her partner 11 times.
But Josh said her sentence was too lenient and started the online petition as he felt ‘justice was not served.’
She mounted the pavement and smashed into a bus shelter (pictured) before hitting the college student. As a result of his injuries Josh spent two months in hospital and still cannot walk unaided
But Josh (pictured in an ambulance) said her sentence was too lenient and started the online petition as he felt ‘justice was not served.’
The 16-year-old from Penzance was walking to college in March this year when he was mowed down by Wilson, who later tested positive for Class A drugs.
He suffered an open fracture to his right tibia, a closed fracture to his left collar bone, a punctured lung, bruising to his left foot and associated cuts and bruises.
In a victim impact statement, which he read to the court himself, Josh said he is still unable to walk unaided and relies on his parents to take him upstairs and bathe him.
He said his injuries had affected his social life, as he was housebound and friends had to come and see him, and he was also unable to take his AS level exams.
Josh still walks with crutches and faces at least a further year of treatment.
In a victim impact statement, which he read to the court himself, Josh (pictured in hospital on the left and before the crash on the right) said he is still unable to walk unaided and relies on his parents to take him upstairs and bathe him
As a result of the accident Wilson was given a two year sentence suspended for two years plus banned from driving for three years.
She was also told to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and a 25 day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Truro Crown Court heard that she had taken large amounts of cocaine, methadone, morphine and codeine.
She pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs.
Judge Robert Linford said that although people who drive whilst unfit through drugs usually face an immediate prison sentence, given the unusual circumstances of the case he was able to suspend the jail term.
Judge Robert Linford said that although people who drive whilst unfit through drugs usually face an immediate prison sentence, given the unusual circumstances of the case he was able to suspend the jail term
In sentencing Wilson, Judge Linford remarked: ‘The effects of your behaviour remain with the victim whose life has been altered by your decision to drive that car.
‘You were extremely intoxicated when you made the decision to drive but it is clear from your interview exactly why you saturated yourself. The explanation has been investigated and found to be entirely truthful.
‘Shortly before your partner found a quantity of drugs and you handed it into police. What followed was threats to you and your family and Facebook messages show their sinister nature.
‘Your first thought was to send your children to live with your mother, you remained in the flat vulnerable and took the quantity of drugs you did in an effort to remain alert and aware to the threat of any physical attack.’
Judge Linford went on to add that although people who drive whilst unfit through drugs usually face an immediate prison sentence, given the unusual circumstances of the case he was able to suspend the jail term.
Her solicitor Paul Gallagher told the court: ‘The gang would follow her and even followed her to hospital where a security guard rang the police.
Josh suffered an open fracture to his right tibia, a closed fracture to his left collar bone, a punctured lung, bruising to his left foot and associated cuts and bruises
‘This went on for a number of days, the gang demanding £20,000 or their drugs back, warning of dire consequences.
‘Because of the stress she did not sleep for five days or so.
‘She had drug problems in the past, however was free of drugs at the time, ridding herself of heroin instead on a small methadone script.
‘Life had been back to normal and she passed her driving test nine months before, but because of the stress and fear she was under didn’t feel able to go to sleep.
‘She took cocaine to stay awake as she did not dare fall asleep.’
He said that 13 days after the incident neighbours rang police reporting masked men climbing the outside of her flat.
The gang then chased Wilson and her partner and although she managed to get away, he was caught, stabbed 11 times and beaten with a baseball bat, suffering life-changing injuries.
In his petition, which has already attracted several hundred signatures, Josh revealed that he also struggles to sleep and has had painful flashbacks (pictured the scene after the accident)
In his petition, which has already attracted several hundred signatures, Josh revealed that he also struggles to sleep and has had painful flashbacks.
He wrote: ‘The point of this petition is due to the fact in court the woman was handed a two year suspended sentence due to the fact she has children, a sentence is meant to be a deterrent but the judge let her walk away with community service, a two year suspended sentence and three month tag.
‘My mum was so close to losing her son out of no fault of my own but yet a woman who uses class A drugs gets away with nearly destroying a family just so she can be with hers.
‘The aim of the petition is to try to show that justice was not served and that we won’t go down without a fight.
‘I have contacted the local MP and have put together an appeal but with the help of the public and keeping it in the spotlight I feel we can make a difference.’