Driver jailed for death of man carried on car roof

A driver who struck an 89-year-old man and carried him on the roof of his car for almost a mile before fleeing the scene has been jailed for nine years and 10 months.

Albert Matraxhiu, 29, was travelling at 76mph in a 40mph zone when he hit pensioner Tom Wallace at a crossing on the A289 Gads Hill in Gillingham on 29 December.

The retired dental surgeon and great-grandfather fell from the grey Mercedes in Grange Road, where he was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Sentencing Matraxhiu at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, Judge Julian Smith said of Mr Wallace: "His legacy is his family."

Matraxhiu, of Orange Hill Road, Edgware, had admitted causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

He was also disqualified from driving and must serve a further six-year ban after his release before taking an extended re-test.

The court heard Matraxhiu and passenger Erald Paci abandoned the vehicle before leaving the area on foot.

The pair later removed and disposed of the car's number plates, their clothing and their phones, police said.

Matraxhiu handed himself in the day after the crash following a police appeal.

In a statement read to the court, Wallace's wife Angela described the death of her "beloved husband" as having "knocked out one of the foundation stones of our family".

She said they had been together for 70 years, had been married for 64 years and that the family were "all reeling, all in pain".

She described the crash as "cowardly, cruel, unforgivable".

She said the family regularly had to pass both the crossing where her husband was struck and the place where he was later fell from the car.

The family planted snowdrops near the scene, she said, to help soften the impact of the "constant reminder".

Their son Peter Wallace told the court he had experienced "no terror like it" since his father's death and spoke of a "powerful sense of unfairness".

A statement read to the court from daughter Juliet Roma described her father as "kind, caring" and "my biggest cheerleader".

She recalled joining him on charity cycle rides across Europe and said she still felt "broken and squashed" by his death.

"He was treated like road kill," she said.

Their son James Wallace said in a statement that the death had "deprived us all of a dearly loved family elder" and left a "huge loss that could never be mended".

He added that he could not think about his father without seeing "an image of his death".

Paci, 30, of Five Way Court, Chatham, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting perverting the course of justice.

The court heard he had already served that sentence on remand and would be released.

Det Insp Zoe Wilczek, of Kent Police, said: "Matraxhiu's dangerous and amoral actions have taken a man's life and shocked the local community.

"His deliberate and calculated attempts to evade capture and avoid facing the consequences of his actions are evidence of his poor substance of character, and we are satisfied he is facing a long time behind bars.

"Mr Wallace was much-loved and deeply respected by his family and the community, and we hope today's sentence brings a sense of justice to all that knew him."

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