Chris and Iain Varma

This is the tragic story of Chris Varma aged 7 who died outside Highfield School on the 21st of June 1987.

Please read it and shed a tear.

This extract is take from Hasard the offical House of Commons record.

Ian Mccartney MP

"I start with clause 3 and refer to two young children, Christopher Varma aged seven, and Iain Varma, his brother, aged 14.

I pay tribute to their father, Satinda, and their mother, Linda, who have courageously campaigned not only because of what happened to their family and the destruction that was caused by an accident on 21 June 1987, but to try to prevent such a tragedy happening to other children. Tragically, since the accident, their wish has not been carried out. Day in and day out, children are mown down and lives are destroyed in a second by a driver who has taken drink or by a driver who has no consideration for other road or public highway users.

On 21 June 1987 in Blackpool, young Iain and Christopher were doing what many children do in the summer, visiting a local school fete.

They became bored with the fete and decided to go to a local sweet shop and then return home to mother. Unfortunately, on their way to the sweet shop they were involved in an accident when they were mown down by the rider of a 1000 cc Kawasaki motor cycle.

Young Christopher, aged seven, was killed almost instantaneously, but Iain survived with permanent disabilities. In a few seconds of madness that young life was lost and a family's peace of mind and happiness were destroyed for ever.

What happened thereafter is not only a disaster for the family but is a stain on the judicial system and a public disgrace in respect of the tragic death of one of the young lads, Christopher, and the permanent disability of his brother.

As other hon. Members wish to speak, I shall read a short version of a report of the court proceedings, to give an understanding of what has happened and why it has happened not just to the Varma family but to hundreds and perhaps thousands of families who have become the victims of drinking and driving or of people who just did not give a damn about others who use the highways. In the tragic circumstances, I hope that the House will recognise that clauses 1 and 3 are insufficient to meet the task before us.

On 21 June, a 24-year-old baker called Henry Staals on his new motor cycle killed Christopher and seriously injured Iain. He was travelling at a speed that was recognised to be at about 60 mph in a residential part of Blackpool. Indeed, it was said that even the 30 mph limit on that road would have been far too fast in the circumstances.

Mr. Richard Isaacson, who was prosecuting, told the jury that the tragedy happened when Christopher and his 14-year-old brother, Iain, had attended a fete at Highfield school. It was a perfect summer day but the boys, who were not with their parents, were apparently bored and decided to return home to Ashworth court. But when they were crossing Highfield road at about 4 pm a 1000cc black Kawasaki motor cycle, with its headlights blazing, knocked them down. Mr. Isaacson claimed that the bike was driven in such a manner as to make an accident almost inevitable if anyone got in its way. Mr. Isaacson told the jury :

"Tragically for him, as well as for those young boys, they got in his way."

Some witnesses who were overtaken by the motor bike or who saw it from the pavement thought that it was travelling at 60 mph. Mr. Isaacson told the jury :

"If you are sure he was travelling at speeds of up to 60 mph, that is a very reckless course of driving on any basis."

The prosecution alleged that Staals was so determined to enjoy driving his motor cycle that he gave no thought to the manner in which it was driven.

At the end of the trial, Staals was found guilty, but I shall tell hon. Members what happened and the advice of the judge--not in my words, but in those of Christopher's mum, Linda, who wrote to me on 20 February this year, stating :

"20 June 1987 : My seven-year-old son Christopher was killed and his fourteen-year-old brother Iain critically injured by a speeding motorcyclist.

October 1988 : At Preston Crown Court the motorbike rider was found not guilty of causing death by reckless driving, guilty only of careless driving, fined £250 and banned for two years.

I want to change the law to give the innocent victim"

the same rights as those appearing before other courts, such as the Court of Appeal.

In those anguished words, that mother was saying that her son's life was worth only £250. However, what made it worse for the family was that when the judge passed the sentence, he then advised the court of the defendant's previous convictions. In 1984 that gentleman was fined £450 and banned for 18 months for riding a motor cycle at a police officer who had tried to stop him for speeding.

This was the motor cyclist's fourth serious offence, yet he did not suffer the loss of his liberty, only a miserable fine of £250.

There was no redress for the family or the victim.