A grieving mother said her 'daughter has been completely failed' by the justice system after her killer was spared jail to save his military career.
Laionie Kennard, 18, died when Joseph Pickett's BMW 1 Series crashed into trees after misjudging a corner in Bournemouth, Dorset, in September 2023.
Craftsman Pickett admitted causing Laionie's death while driving at roughly 50mph in a 30mph zone but he was not jailed because prison sentences result in dismissal from the army.
After a coroner ruled that the most significant cause of Laionie's death was Pickett's excessive speed, her mother Kelly Kennard, 41, said: 'I feel my daughter has been completely failed.
'I feel so angry that my daughter lost her life and yet the man driving the car didn't receive a prison sentence.'
Laionie, who died at the scene from serious head injuries, had messaged her mother 30 minutes earlier to express concern at Pickett's driving.
Pickett, then aged 18, had consumed up to a bottle of Henry Weston's cider before driving and failed a roadside breath test following the crash.
He was handed a prison sentence of 10 months suspended for two years, disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to pay £232 in costs and complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
Kelly Kennard whose daughter Laionie (above) was killed in the crash said: 'My daughter has been completely failed'
Laionie's parents Kelly and David Kennard believe their daughter's killer should be in prison
Pickett was convicted of causing death by careless driving but was given a suspended prison sentence at Poole Magistrates' Court.
The inquest heard the BMW was estimated to be travelling at between 47mph and 58mph at the moment it left the road.
Pickett had been taking three friends home from a trip to McDonald's.
He suffered minor injuries, as did his girlfriend Edy Herridge and friend William Green, both also 18.
He had also recently passed an intensive driving course with the army only a few weeks before the crash.
Mrs Kennard added she used a tracking app on her phone called Life360 to check on her daughter's safety.
She said the app record that her daughter was moving at 80mph.
She said: 'A video recorded in the car one minute before the collision shows another passenger swearing about the speed they were travelling at.
Kelly, who had downloaded the app to keep an eye on her daughter's whereabouts, was devastated when she saw that the car had been travelling at 80mph in a 40mph zone
Pictured: Joseph Pickett at Poole Magistrates Court where he admitted causing Laionie's death
Mrs Kennard previously said she wanted Pickett to be tried for the more serious offence of causing her daughter's death by dangerous driving because of what the
'The speedometer was visible on this recording and, albeit blurry, the coroner could see the dial was pointing at 12 o'clock which is 80mph, in a 30mph zone.
'The driver, Joe Pickett, argued it was wrong.'
Brendan Allen, the Dorset Coroner, said he will issue a prevention of future deaths report because of the limited experience Pickett had driving.
Pickett bought the BMW less than three weeks before the crash and passed his test following a week-long intensive course through the army.
He had limited experience driving at night, on rural roads and in a vehicle of that power.
The coroner said graduated driving licences would be raised with the Department for Transport, while concerns surrounding intensive driving courses would be raised with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in his report.
An MOD spokeswoman said: 'Our thoughts remain with Laionie Kennard’s family and friends at this difficult time.'
They added that any service personnel who commit an offence are dealt with through the disciplinary process, but would not comment on Pickett's individual circumstances.
