THE hit-and-run killer of six-year-old Leonie Shaw was yesterday locked up for four years for more driving offences and a ram-raid.

But his sentence was criticised by campaigners and the girl's family after it was revealed Colin Meek will be out of jail in only two years.

Yesterday's case came 24 hours after the criminal justice system was condemned over another hit-and-run death case.

The parents of medical student Abigail Craen hit out after they learnt speeding driver Jaswinder Singh could be free in four months.

Singh, 45, from Birmingham, was jailed for 18 months for causing death by dangerous driving, but he will only serve half the sentence, less five months he has spent on remand.

Meek, 38, formerly from Spennymoor, County Durham, will spend two years behind bars under the same controversial custodial rules.

In April 2002, Meek mowed down Leonie as she crossed the road in Bishop Auckland to buy sweets, and sped off leaving her for dead.

He failed to give himself up despite being named as a suspect, but was eventually caught after a poster campaign by The Northern Echo.

Last night, Leonie's mother, Michelle Aldworth, 36, said: "Meek has got more this time for burglary than he served for killing my little lass. It is an insult to Leonie's memory.

"He has proved he doesn't care about the law when it comes to driving. There is something wrong when he can get away with it.

"If he didn't learn from what he did to Leonie, he isn't going to after this.

"I don't know whether it is the judge or the system which is wrong but he cannot be punished enough as far as I am concerned."

David Hines, chairman of the North of England Victims' Association, said he was "appalled and sickened" to hear of Meek's case.

"The sentence and punishment never seem to reflect the crime," he said.

"These repeat offenders make a mockery of the system.

"They only ever serve half their sentence, and there is no point in sentencing someone to eight years when they don't serve eight years."

Meek and Michael Collier, 26, had taken part in the ram-raid, in Collier's car, on the Woolworths store in Barnard Castle, County Durham, on May 18 last year.

Despite being banned from driving for life for the death of Leonie, Meek sped away from the scene, pursued by police cars and a police helicopter at speeds of up to 100mph in 30mph and 40mph zones.

Meek and Collier, both of no fixed address, admitted a burglary charge. Meek also faced charges of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and was found guilty after a trial.

Ian West, for Collier, who like Meek was on prison licence at the time of the ram-raid, said both men were effectively living in the car, which was used to smash through the shop's doors.

Meek's solicitor, Adrian Dent, said: "The motive was to get money to buy heroin and also on his part to get enough money to fund a bond to get fresh accommodation."

He said the dangerous driving aspect was a "completely different type of offence" to that committed when Leonie was killed in 2002, in that it was the dangerous condition of the car and not speed that was a major factor.

Mr Dent described how the father-of-two had been reviled in his community after causing Leonie's death and had effectively been exiled from his home.

He had lost contact with his family. On being released from prison on licence, having served two years of a four-year sentence, he moved to a hostel in Gateshead, where he lived for five months.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox, said both men had very bad criminal records and described the ram-raid, which led to the theft of mobile phones worth £2,000, as audacious.

Both men received three years each for the burglary, with Meek receiving a year on top for dangerous driving.

There was no separate penalty for driving while disqualified, although Meek was further disqualified for three years.

Meek and Collier had 334 and 364 days respectively left over from previous sentences, having been let out early on licence.

But having taken into account the length of time each had spent on remand, it only equated to an extra 14 days for Meek and 130 for Collier.

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