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'It has totally destroyed us'
The parents of Tommy Kenny, the ten-year-old killed after being hit by a car in Borehamwood last year, have told how his death has "totally destroyed" their lives.
Speaking in-depth for the first time about losing their son, Lynsey Kenny and Lloyd Sullivan said the accident, as he crossed Brook Road on April 28 last year, had left an irreparable "dent" in their family.
Last week, 25-year-old Ricky Knott, of Linton Avenue, Borehamwood, was convicted of driving without due care and attention at the time of the accident.
He will be sentenced on April 9 and was told to expect a driving ban, a fine and community service.
Lynsey, 29, said she was disappointed with the outcome: "We feel the sentencing is an insult to us as his parents and family, and to Tommy himself.
"The attitude of the driver was appalling and has made it so much harder for us to deal with. He was not even willing to give evidence at court.
"He accelerated before and after hitting Tommy. He has shown no remorse and is intent on saying he didn't know what he had hit.
"I hope it haunts him for the rest of his life.
"We have had to relive this awful nightmare second by second without Tommy here to defend himself. It's so hard."
Last month, Tommy's family handed over a petition with more than 5,000 signatures to Hertsmere Borough Council calling for 20mph limits around schools and parks. They expect to hear back from the authority next month.
Although the family, including Tommy's grandparents, three aunts and four cousins, have pulled together to support each other, Lynsey said losing the football-loving youngster had affected every aspect of their lives and had been particularly hard for his four-year-old brother, Alfie.
She said: "The sheer shock and terror of losing Tommy in such an awful way is something we will never get over or come to terms with.
"We are all still suffering. Alfie talks about Tommy every day. Sometimes he thinks he is still here, other times he wakes up with nightmares. It is just not right, there is a dent in our family."
The couple revealed Tommy's death was the second tragedy to hit the family last year.
Nine weeks before the accident, Lloyd's mother was swept away by a wave and drowned in Cornwall.
Lloyd, 25, said: "Tommy loved making things, anything to do with dinosaurs, playing with Bob the Builder, dressing up.
"He was very loving and you could tell his mood straight away by looking at his face. He was very sensitive and loved his brother. What did he do to deserve this?"
Lloyd, who is a chef, said he sometimes forgets Tommy is not there. "The other day I made four jellies by mistake," he said.
"At 3pm I think I've forgotten to pick him up from school. Alfie wants to go to the park and other places, and we can't go because we know Tommy is missing."
Lynsey said the cards and letters from other families and residents in Borehamwood had brought them some comfort, and thanked the police for their work on the case.
But she added: "It's ruined everything. You think 'if it happened to me I'd die'. But it's like you are dead now anyway. We are all trying to survive this, but we are so down we can't help each other.
"It tears you apart. It's totally destroyed everything."
| He was very sensitive and loved his brother. What did he do to deserve this? | | Lloyd Sullivan, Tommy's father |
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The parents of Tommy Kenny, the ten-year-old killed after being hit by a car in Borehamwood last year, have told how his death has "totally destroyed" their lives.
Speaking in-depth for the first time about losing their son, Lynsey Kenny and Lloyd Sullivan said the accident, as he crossed Brook Road on April 28 last year, had left an irreparable "dent" in their family.
Last week, 25-year-old Ricky Knott, of Linton Avenue, Borehamwood, was convicted of driving without due care and attention at the time of the accident.
He will be sentenced on April 9 and was told to expect a driving ban, a fine and community service.
Lynsey, 29, said she was disappointed with the outcome: "We feel the sentencing is an insult to us as his parents and family, and to Tommy himself.
"The attitude of the driver was appalling and has made it so much harder for us to deal with. He was not even willing to give evidence at court.
"He accelerated before and after hitting Tommy. He has shown no remorse and is intent on saying he didn't know what he had hit.
"I hope it haunts him for the rest of his life.
"We have had to relive this awful nightmare second by second without Tommy here to defend himself. It's so hard."
Last month, Tommy's family handed over a petition with more than 5,000 signatures to Hertsmere Borough Council calling for 20mph limits around schools and parks. They expect to hear back from the authority next month.
Although the family, including Tommy's grandparents, three aunts and four cousins, have pulled together to support each other, Lynsey said losing the football-loving youngster had affected every aspect of their lives and had been particularly hard for his four-year-old brother, Alfie.
She said: "The sheer shock and terror of losing Tommy in such an awful way is something we will never get over or come to terms with.
"We are all still suffering. Alfie talks about Tommy every day. Sometimes he thinks he is still here, other times he wakes up with nightmares. It is just not right, there is a dent in our family."
The couple revealed Tommy's death was the second tragedy to hit the family last year.
Nine weeks before the accident, Lloyd's mother was swept away by a wave and drowned in Cornwall.
Lloyd, 25, said: "Tommy loved making things, anything to do with dinosaurs, playing with Bob the Builder, dressing up.
"He was very loving and you could tell his mood straight away by looking at his face. He was very sensitive and loved his brother. What did he do to deserve this?"
Lloyd, who is a chef, said he sometimes forgets Tommy is not there. "The other day I made four jellies by mistake," he said.
"At 3pm I think I've forgotten to pick him up from school. Alfie wants to go to the park and other places, and we can't go because we know Tommy is missing."
Lynsey said the cards and letters from other families and residents in Borehamwood had brought them some comfort, and thanked the police for their work on the case.
But she added: "It's ruined everything. You think 'if it happened to me I'd die'. But it's like you are dead now anyway. We are all trying to survive this, but we are so down we can't help each other.
"It tears you apart. It's totally destroyed everything."
4:39pm Thursday 20th March 2008
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