“We're in a living nightmare”: Heartbroken mum of teenager tragically killed at 18 says family is in “living hell”
A heartbroken mum has said she and her family are in a “living hell” following her daughter’s tragic death.
The mother of a teenager who died tragically at the age of 18 has said she and her family are in a “living hell”. Kelly Kennard, 42, lost her daughter Laionie when a newly-qualified driver crashed the car she was a passenger in.
The 42-year-old has spoken out as the Department for Transport today (January 7) began a consultation about rules for new drivers - including a minimum period of driving experience after passing a theory test before a learner can take their practical test. Kelly said the proposed changes "don't go far enough".
Joseph Pickett, 20, had only passed his driving test three weeks before when he hit a tree and lost control - and Laionie died at the scene from head injuries in September 2023.
As well as the six month rule for learner drivers, the new proposals also include lowering the drink-driving limit in England and Wales and eye tests every three years for drivers over 70. The consultation hopes to cut deaths on Britain's roads with figures showing roughly one in five fatalities or serious injuries in road accidents are caused by young drivers.
Since Laionie's death Kelly has been calling for young and new drivers to have black boxes in their cars, and for them not to be able to carry passengers for six months after their test. Kelly, from Verwood, Dorset said: "The government just don't have the guts to take a hard line. Somewhere along the line I think the reason for this must be about money.
"Driving a car is like handling a weapon - you're responsible for something that can take lives and you're responsible for everyone in the car. Young people's brains aren't fully developed until they're 25, they can't understand the risks they are taking and the potential consequences. They think it's fun and games but it's other people's lives.
"Six months experience isn't enough. They won't have encountered lots of situations like rural roads or difficult weather conditions. You really only start to learn when you're at the wheel on your own.
"They really need to ban young new drivers from carrying passengers for six months. They should be making black boxes mandatory for young drivers, and banning them from having powerful cars."
Kelly and husband David, now 43, were at a carnival with Laionie's sister Charlotte, now eight, on September 16, 2023, when a parent alerted them to the crash, near Ringwood, Hampshire. Pickett, his girlfriend Edy Herridge, then 18, and friend William Green, also 18 at the time, suffered minor injuries in the collision.
Accident investigators estimated that the car was travelling between 43 and 54mph in a 30mph zone. However, an app on Kelly's phone showed the BMW 1 series was travelling over 80-miles-per-hour.
Despite showing the evidence to the police, it was argued the app, which uses GPS technology to calculate speed, couldn't be verified for accuracy and thus could not serve as evidence.
Pickett, a soldier, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving on December 20 2024 at Poole magistrates court. On January 29, 2025, he was sentenced to 10 months, suspended for 24 months, and 250 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from driving for two years.
Kelly has been calling for tougher sentences for drivers who cause death or serious injury on the road - along with David, Charlotte, and Laionie's brothers Deon, 22 and Brandon, 17.
She said: "I don't understand why the Government can't implement a graduated licence. In other countries it's reduced the fatality rate by 28%. Nearly every single day up to Christmas I was reading about fatalities.
“I just keep thinking about all those families suffering like we are. We're in a living nightmare. It's like it was only yesterday. We've all got PTSD - it's literally living hell.
"There is no way a young person should be driving a high-performance car like that. As a mother it's the least you can do to protect your child with a black box and a small car.
"I've lost faith in the whole system. I think it's all corrupt. The army are there to protect us, but in this case it helped him to get a lesser sentence, and I think got him a discount on this high-performance car.
"We've got the life sentence, Joseph has been able to continue with his life and his career."