A man who avoided an immediate jail sentence after his driving caused the death of a passenger has been jailed for a further motoring offence.
Michael Ronner, of Courtney Road in Kingswood, received a six-month prison sentence, suspended, in June for a fatal collision on the A4174 in Mangotsfield. The crash killed his passenger, Tyler Carley. Ronner pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Caught Behind the Wheel a Month Later
A month after his sentence, the 40-year-old was seen driving in Mangotsfield by an officer from Avon and Somerset Roads Policing Unit who had attended the scene of the December 2023 crash. After being stopped, Ronner told the officer he felt the disqualification had been "harsh".
His vehicle was seized and he was reported for driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
Sentenced at Bristol Crown Court
At Bristol Magistrates' Court in August, Ronner pleaded guilty to both offences. On Thursday 5 November, he was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to eight months in prison and disqualified from driving for 31 months.
PC Dan Hamblin, the attending officer, said: "Having attended that awful collision in 2023, I was very aware that he had recently been banned from driving. To see him behind the wheel of a car just a few weeks later was beyond frustrating.
"To then hear him describe his disqualification from driving as 'harsh' shows a complete lack of understanding of the impact of his decisions and a lack of appreciation for the responsibilities he has when behind the wheel.
"I hope this case demonstrates our commitment to making our roads safer for everyone and our zero tolerance approach to taking action against those who shouldn't be driving."
Family Reflects on the Loss
PC Martin Higgins, the family liaison officer for Tyler's family, said: "It is thirty-five months since Michael Ronner caused the death of Tyler Carley due to the manner of his driving.
"Tyler's family have had to endure not only the loss of a much-loved family member, but also Michael Ronner's reluctance to take responsibility for his actions until the last minute and showing no remorse.
"It is apparent that he had scant disregard for the judicial system having been caught driving whilst disqualified, only a matter of weeks after being sentenced for causing the death of Tyler.
"His sentence today will hopefully allow him some time to reflect on the devastation his actions have caused.
"I would like to thank Tyler's family for the fortitude and dignity they have displayed over the last three years with numerous trips to court, to see justice served today.
"I would also like to remember Cameron Williams, who was with Tyler on the day he died, and is no longer with us."
