Kate’s Story
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Kate Morgan’s daughter, Lona, died after her friend Ian Edwards lost control of the car they were travelling in. He was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
“I was pleased that he’d got some sort of punishment but the length of the prison term didn’t matter to me. Twelve days or twelve years, it wouldn’t bring Lona back. Over the next few weeks I realised I still had questions I wanted answers to.”
Kate was offered Restorative Justice by her police victim liason officer who explained how the system worked.
“I felt completely prepared to meet Ian – I knew exactly what to expect and what would happen,” she added.
“What I didn’t know on the day of the meeting was how I was going to react when I saw him – it wasn’t something I could predict.
“I’d had to process what happened as a terrible accident and I accepted that he had not set out that night to kill my daughter.
“Although I’d come to terms with that it was still hard to go to see him.”
Kate saw how remorseful Ian was as soon as she saw him. His first words were an apology.
He looked her in the eye as he said he would do anything to turn the clock back and he was able to clarify the events of that night from a perspective only he knew.
Kate told him exactly what his actions had done and how many people he had affected.
“The ripples from the death of my daughter went far beyond just the immediate family.
“Losing her so suddenly had wrecked all our lives and I wanted him to know how we all felt. Lona’s sister Ella was only nine when Lona died and she’d been very close to her.”
Although Kate admitted nothing Ian said was a surprise, the meeting put a stop to the “uncertainty and endless questions”.
If you are interested in Restorative Justice, find your local Restorative Justice service through our map or learn more about how the process works. If you have a story you would like to share with us, please get in touch via info@why-me.org.