Your story about Gary Cody killing a police officer by dangerous driving was most sad and my thoughts go out to PC Duncan’s family.

Given the aggravating factors such as Cody having 35 convictions for 88 offences and boasting about the killing in prison, I simply do not understand why the prison sentence of eight-and-a-half years could be considered adequate by a reasonable person.

I accept that Cody should have received a reduction in sentence for eventually handing himself in to the police and pleading guilty but eight-and-a-half years in prison plus 6 years’ driving ban is disgraceful.

Perhaps we could derive some benefit from this tragedy by petitioning our MPs to change the Crown Prosecution Service’s sentencing guidelines so that people who commit grievous offence like this are put away for an appropriate, i.e. very long, amount of time, and are given much longer driving bans.

Careering around in a few tons of machinery is not a right and if you kill or injure people because of the way YOU drive then it is reasonable for you to expect to not be permitted to be able to drive another vehicle again.

Ross Stevenson, via email