Manslaughter (Hansard, 10 December 1997)

§ Mr. Wills
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of cases passed to the CPS as being capable of sustaining a charge of manslaughter have been prosecuted in each of the last three years; [19247]
(2) what percentage of road deaths which the Police have considered might sustain a charge of (a) manslaughter, (b) causing death by (i) careless and (ii) reckless driving and (c) causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs have been prosecuted in each of the last three years; [19322]
(3) what percentage of cases passed to the CPS as being capable of sustaining a charge of causing death by (i) reckless driving and (ii) careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs have been prosecuted in each of the last three years. [19329]
591W

§ Mr. Michael
The data collected centrally on court proceedings by the Home Office do not identify the charge under which a defendant is prosecuted.
Also, the data held centrally by the Crown Prosecution Service do not generally identify the category of offence. However, the numbers of defendants proceeded against in magistrates' courts and tried in the Crown Court for these offences in each of the last three years are as follows:

1994 1995 1996

Defendants proceeded against in the Magistrates' court

Manslaughter¹ 50 69 81

Causing death by:

reckless driving² 235 247 260

careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 30 31 39

Defendants tried in the Crown Court³

Manslaughter¹ 267 269 285

Causing death by:

reckless driving² 230 239 241

careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs 48 52 57

¹ Includes offences under sections 5, 9 and 10 of the Common Law and Offences against the Person Act 1861 and section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957.

² Includes the offence of causing death by careless driving.

³ The data cover defendants either acquitted or found guilty of the offence. Hence they cover those who were prosecuted under a more serious offence but convicted of one of the above offences and do not cover those prosecuted for these offences but found guilty of a lesser offence.

§ Mr. Wills
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average sentence for a conviction for manslaughter, in each of the last three years. [19244]

§ Mr. Michael
The average custodial sentence length, based on all sentence lengths excluding life, for a person convicted of manslaughter under sections 5, 9 and 10 of the Common Law and Offences against the Person Act 1861, and section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957 in each of the last three years is as follows:

Average sentence length (months)

1994 58.5

1995 58.3

1996 61.2

	1994	1995	1996
Defendants proceeded against in the Magistrates' court
Manslaughter¹	50	69	81
Causing death by:
reckless driving²	235	247	260
careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs	30	31	39
Defendants tried in the Crown Court³
Manslaughter¹	267	269	285
Causing death by:
reckless driving²	230	239	241
careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs	48	52	57
¹ Includes offences under sections 5, 9 and 10 of the Common Law and Offences against the Person Act 1861 and section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957.
² Includes the offence of causing death by careless driving.
³ The data cover defendants either acquitted or found guilty of the offence. Hence they cover those who were prosecuted under a more serious offence but convicted of one of the above offences and do not cover those prosecuted for these offences but found guilty of a lesser offence.