A dangerous driver who carried a grandfather on the roof of his Mercedes for more than a mile after a fatal hit-and-run has been jailed.
Dental surgeon Tom Wallace died on the A289 Gads Hill in Gillingham at around 12.10pm on December 29 last year.
Albert Matraxhiu, of Orange Hill, Edgware, pleaded guilty to causing the 89-year-old’s death by dangerous driving on February 2 at Maidstone Crown Court.
He had previously admitted driving without insurance, without a licence, failing to stop, failing to report an accident, and perverting the course of justice.
At a hearing today (July 31) at the same court, the 29-year-old was jailed for a total of nine years and 10 months.
Matraxhiu will be disqualified from driving for six years after his release and will need to take an extended driving test.
Meanwhile, his co-defendant Erald Paci, 29, of Five Way Court, Chatham, was sentenced to 15 months for perverting the course of justice.
Tom Wallace died following the hit-and-run on December 29. Picture: Kent Police
Mr Wallace, a dad-of-three who worked in the Medway Towns all his working life, was struck by Matraxhiu’s Mercedes estate near the junction of Gads Hill and Waterside Lane at the end of last year.
Prosecutor Michael Shilliday said that Mr Wallace was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing, despite the lights being green for vehicles.
However, a driver of a Sainsbury’s delivery van, which was overtaken by Matraxhiu at “considerable speed”, said there was “good time to see the pedestrian” even if driving fast.
Mr Shilliday said that the vehicle was estimated to have been speeding at 76.5mph in a 40mph road when it hit Mr Wallace.
The pensioner was then “thrown into the air and landed on the roof”.
He was carried on top of the vehicle for one and a half miles before he was found fatally injured in nearby Grange Road.
Albert Matraxhiu pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Picture: UKNIP
Erald Paci was charged with perverting the course of justice. Picture: UKNIP
A postman and nearby resident rushed to Mr Wallace’s aid. An ambulance crew arrived to treat him, but he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard that Matraxhiu, who had fled to Sheffield following the crash, then ran a red light before coming to a stop.
The men, who are both Albanian nationals, abandoned the car in Eastcourt Lane after it hit Mr Wallace, as well as taking the number plates from it, before leaving the area on foot.
The court heard that the Mercedes was significantly damaged, with the windscreen entirely shattered, the bonnet dented and the sunroof smashed.
The two men were arrested the same night, after Paci called the police appeals line to admit to being the passenger in the car.
Mr Shilliday told the court that Paci gave a full interview to the police and claimed to have told Matraxhiu to “slow down” and “screamed stop” when he saw Mr Wallace.
Mr Wallace’s family previously paid tribute to the “respected and loved” dad-of-three, grandfather-of-four and a recent great-grandad who had been married for 63 years.
Residents and a postman rushed to Mr Wallace’s aid in Grange Road, Gillingham
Floral tributes were left in Grange Road, Gillingham
Mr Shilliday read out a victim impact statement on behalf of Mr Wallace’s wife Angela. He read: “We built a life side by side and together we built the foundations of a family.
“Family meant everything to Tom, and in an instant these people knocked out a foundation of that family.
“Tom was a good man. He would help anybody. He did not deserve this end.”
He added: “Driving around with him on the roof and leaving him in a country lane was cowardly. It was cruel and completely unforgivable.
“Every time we leave our house we have to pass the crossing, and when we visit the farm shop we pass where his body was dumped.”
His family said they have since planted snowdrops at the site where Mr Wallace died.
It sparked a huge emergency service response
Matraxhiu was jailed for a total of nine years and 10 months. Picture: Kent Police
Mitigating on behalf of Matraxhiu, Adele Pullarp said he had no previous convictions and was of previous good character.
She explained that although the construction worker did not have a valid UK driving licence, he did have an Albanian one.
She added: “He has expressed his deep remorse for his actions. Not only for his driving but lack of courage to stop. He was in shock and panicked.”
Ms Pullarp told the court the defendant was “deeply sorry” and knows he will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life.
Judge Julian Smith was told that his co-defendant Paci had four previous convictions for 16 offences including driving and drug-related crimes.
The Strand Roundabout in Gillingham was cordoned off
Mitigating, Craig Evans, said the passenger called the police within 24 hours following the incident and made full admissions to help their inquiries.
He said this showed his “deep regret“ for his “poor decision-making” at the roadside.
Judge Smith said: “This is not an incident that resulted in a mere accident. Whatever punishment cannot and will not mitigate that loss.”
He described the driving as “aggressive and excessively fast” and Matraxhiu was deliberately ignoring the rules of the road.
He said they then drove with Mr Wallace on the roof in a “precarious and terrifying” position.
Judge Smith added: “The extraordinary circumstances of his death, his family struggle to move forward. His legacy is his family.”
Speaking outside court, senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Zoe Wilczek said: “Matraxhiu’s dangerous and amoral actions have taken a man’s life and shocked the local community.
‘‘His deliberate and calculated attempts to evade capture and avoid facing the consequences of his actions are evidence of his poor substance of character, and we are satisfied he is facing a long time behind bars.
“Mr Wallace was much-loved and deeply respected by his family and the community, and we hope today’s sentence brings a sense of justice to all that knew him.”
The incident sparked a major emergency services response with more than 20 police, fire and ambulance vehicles sent to the scene, as well as the air ambulance and police chopper.
Pier Road was closed between The Strand and Lower Rainham Road, as was Yokosuka Way.