Well he has also been banned from driving for 11 years and 6 months - and that starts when he leaves prison (that is normally the case when driving bans are imposed at the same time as prison sentences).
Assuming he will be out in 7 years, that means 18 years before he is allowed to drive again. He is 24 now, so will be 42 by then. Maybe he will have matured, and learned something.
Not quite.
The ban starts immediately, but it is extended to take account of the likely time in custody.
He will likely be released after six years, six months.
Thus he will have about five years of the ban to serve after release.
Doesn't sound a lot, but it is about what I would expect, and is clearly what the judge was aiming for.
He will also have to take an extended driving before driving again.
I'm told that is not easy, and for whatever reason, most people fail at least once.
Incidentally, for some sentences of seven years or more the defendant must serve two-thirds in custody.
These are described as serious offences of violence or serious sexual offences.
Merely killing someone with your car doesn't qualify.
