A SPEEDING driver whose lorry crushed a man to death has walked free from court after police destroyed vital evidence.

The family of delivery driver Dennis Brigden, from Gravesend, has lashed out at the lenient sentence and police, who mistakenly scrapped the truck.

Ronald Sandy, 63, from Wainhouse Close in Edenbridge, was fined £600 and disqualified for 12 months after evidence was destroyed before his trial.

The prosecution could offer no further evidence against Sandy, who admitted careless driving on the basis that he had been speeding, because experts were unable to determine if the lorry had any defects that might have caused the fatal crash.

Former AA patrolman Sandy was driving a lorry with a 40ft trailer when he crashed into Dennis Brigden’s newspaper delivery van.

It was estimated Sandy was travelling at about 41mph in a 30mph limit.

Sandy was originally told he would not be prosecuted for causing the death of father-of-seven Mr Brigden, 49, of Waterton Avenue, Gravesend.

But on opening and adjourning an inquest, coroner Roger Hatch wrote to the Chief Crown Prosecutor, urging her to review the case.

Passing sentence judge Michael Neligan said: "I cannot and do not attempt to put – in fixing the amount of the fine in this case – anything that can remotely be called a price on somebody’s life.

"To drive a lorry of this size without the required degree of care must be regarded as serious."

After the trial Mr Brigden’s partner of 20 years, Dawn Glass, said she was devastated with the outcome.

She said: "This is not justice. I am absolutely gutted."

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