Victim's family fight killer's open prison move

Charlotte Hope, 19, volunteered in Kenya

The family of a woman who died after her car was hit by a dangerous driver are campaigning to stop her killer from being moved to an open prison.

Charlotte Hope, 19, died in the crash on the A53 at Astley, near Shrewsbury, on 9 April 2022.

Ashley Kosciekowski, from Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for six years and four months after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and for seriously injuring Ms Hope's mother.

Neil Hope, Ms Hope's father, said: "Every day is painful, but it's made more painful because the system continues to stick a knife in you.

"If he'd stuck a knife in us he would have got a much longer sentence, but he used a car instead."

In January, the Hope family were told he had been moved to an open prison, but he was moved back 48 hours later.

Four months on and they have been told the same may happen again.

In 2022, the government changed the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving from 14 years to life.

However, the change came in after Ms Hope's death.

"When he hit Charlotte, he was doing well over 80 mph... there was cannabis in the car," Mr Hope said.

"He showed no remorse".

The Hope family are now fighting the system for a second time to stop Kosciekowski from being moved to an open estate.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: "Prisoners must pass a robust risk assessment before any move to open conditions.

"We do not hesitate to move them back to closed prisons if they break the rules."

What is an open prison?

• Classed as category D

• These prisons have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence to carry out work, education or for other resettlement purposes

• Open prisons only house prisoners that have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions

Source: gov.uk

Neil Hope (middle) said his wife Helen Hope (left) was seriously injured in the crash but is recovering physically

The family has had backing from MPs, including their local MP Helen Morgan.

"It seems to me that the decision making has been driven by lack of space in prisons, rather by any attempt to ensure that Charlotte has some justice," Mrs Morgan said.

Mrs Morgan said she had written to the justice secretary.

"I've also written to request that victim's families have an opportunity to be put into those prison service panels.

"If this had been a probation service decision, they would have had an opportunity to have their say, but because it is a prison service decision, they've been cut out of that decision," she added.

Ashley Kosciekowski was sentenced to six years and four months

Colin Hope, Ms Hope's uncle, has been at the forefront of this fight. He has been told a decision will be made in the coming weeks, yet say information so far has been given in a "piecemeal fashion".

"We'd like some change so the system is victim focused not offender focused," he said.

"Seeing the impact of Charlotte's death on Neil, Helen and the family, that's been tough."

Colin Hope, Ms Hope's uncle, said the family would like to see systemic change