A kiss and a hug from his victim’s widow helped drunk driver Phillip Kirkwood Hamilton avoid jail for killing a cyclist, the Christchurch  Press reported today.

FORGIVING: Andrea Krueger leaves court after she had comforted the driver who was drunk when he drove into her husband who was cycling home last year.

After reading a heart-rending victim impact statement to the Christchurch District Court, widow Andrea Krueger kissed and hugged the forlorn looking Hamilton standing in the dock.

Hamilton had admitted careless driving causing the death of Jens Richardon, 34, who was cycling home on a rural Canterbury road last August.  Read more... (692 words, 1 image, estimated 2:46 mins reading time)