Bus driver sentence increased after killing girl

Ada Bicakci, from Bexleyheath, was a keen gymnast and swimmer

A bus driver who was jailed for falling asleep at the wheel and killing a nine-year-old girl has had his sentence increased.

Martin Asolo-Ogugua, 24, had almost three times the legal level of cannabis in his system after he crashed into Ada Bicakci who was cycling along the pavement on 3 August last year in Bexleyheath, south London.

Ada died two days later in hospital. Asolo-Ogugua was jailed for four years after admitting causing her death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs.

The Solicitor General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing at a hearing on Wednesday that it was "unduly lenient" and should be increased.

'No fit state to drive'

Three senior judges ruled the sentence should be raised to six years and eight months, and that Asolo-Ogugua should be disqualified from driving for five years upon his release.

Lord Justice Dingemans, sitting with Mr Justice Hilliard and Sir Robin Spencer, said that Asolo-Ogugua had "acknowledged that he had destroyed his victim's family, and his own", but had "disregarded the risk of danger to others for the period that he was driving".

He said: "He must have appreciated that he was in no fit state to drive, but continued to drive."

Martin Asolo-Ogugua's sentence is increased after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs

Peter Ratliff, appearing for the Solicitor General, told the court that Asolo-Ogugua worked as a bus driver for Arriva and arrived for work on the morning of 3 August having only returned home from a social event at around 06:30 BST.

He left a depot in Dartford at around 08:45 in a double-decker bus, with CCTV from the cab showing Asolo-Ogugua "yawning repeatedly, appearing drowsy, his eyes appeared to close on occasion.

Other road users noted his vehicle was being driven erratically" for about 13 minutes, Mr Ratliff said.

Asolo-Ogugua then appeared to fall asleep for "up to 15 seconds", with the bus drifting across the road and colliding with Ada who was with her father and brother in Watling Street, Bexleyheath.

He admitted the two offences in April this year and was jailed at Woolwich Crown Court.

Gregory Fishwick, representing Asolo-Ogugua, said the case was a "tragedy", and that while the sentence "might be classified as lenient", it was "not unduly so".

He said: "He will never forget this. It was a tragedy, one that he will feel forever."