Mum, 39, jailed for killing motorbike thief after she chased him down and rammed car into him
16 March 2023, 08:59
A woman has been jailed after knocking a motorbike thief off his stolen vehicle, causing his death.
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Kerry Fair pursued Thomas Maguire, 30, after he stole the bike from her daughter’s boyfriend’s home earlier on 18 May.
She caught up to him on Kings Road when she ploughed her car into him and the bike – which had previously been stolen from its owner in Birmingham in 2018.
Fair was caught driving the Ford Focus between 76 and 86mph in a 30mph zone as she chased him.
Maguire was knocked off the bike while Fair fled, leaving him seriously injured.
The Focus was abandoned at the side of the road, still running, but her wallet was found in the front door.
The 39-year-old was arrested shortly after the crash.
Maguire’s friends took him to hospital, but he died following three weeks of being in a critical condition.
Fair, of Kingstanding, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for manslaughter after being found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court in March.
Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood, of West Midlands Police, said: "At the speed she was travelling, at the very least she was reckless to the fact Thomas would be injured as a result of her actions that night.
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"Had Fair applied emergency braking when she realised she was gaining rapidly on the motorbike, the collision could have been completely avoided, which inevitably could have prevented Thomas from being injured.
"Our thoughts remain with the family of Thomas and I hope today’s sentence can bring them some closure."
Maguire's family said: Thomas is our first thought in the morning and our last at night, he is loved and missed by each and every one of us. There isn’t a day that goes by when we don’t miss him. No one will ever replace him.
"We miss his crazy ways, the laughs and our mad chats and us having to tell him off. We talk about him every day and as the younger children get older they will always know how proud Thomas was of them and that they bought out the softer side of him.
"He looked after his mom and all of his family and now we will look after her, hopefully we can do him proud.
"Today with the guilty verdict for manslaughter and the 14-year sentence, he gets some justice, rest peacefully Thomas."
