Family’s fury at two-year sentence for ‘gangster since the age of nine’ who ran over and killed his foster mother at 12: Relatives feel ‘completely let down’ and ‘traumatised’ as it is revealed killer could be out in just four months

• The family of Marcia Grant, 60, have said they were ‘let down’ by the ruling 
• Ms Grant was run over twice by the 12-year-old she fostered days beforehand  

The family of a woman who was run over and killed by a 12-year-old boy she fostered have been left furious over his two-year-long sentence, saying they feel ‘completely let down’ and revealing her traumatised husband suffers flashbacks. 

Marcia Grant, 60, was run over twice by the knife-wielding child outside her Sheffield home, just days after he had come to stay with the family, on April 5. 

A wheel of the Honda Civic ended up on top of Ms Grant who suffered fatal crush injuries to her chest and died at the scene – with the boy later saying to cops: ‘Is she dead?’ and ‘looks like I got my first kill?’ before insisting: ‘It was an accident, I swear.’ When he was arrested after trying to run away from police, the balaclava-clad youngster told a policewoman: ‘I’m going to f****** kill your family, you b****, and I don’t give a f***.’ 

The court heard the boy boasted about being a ‘gangster since aged nine’ and had a number of rows with his foster mother’s husband Delroy, who had been left ‘deeply traumatised’ by his wife’s death.

However, prosecutors didn’t charge the schoolboy with murder, saying the child –  who is now 13 – had no intention to harm his foster carer, with Judge Ms Justice May saying the incident was an ‘accident’.

Marcia Grant, pictured, died after her Honda Accord was reversed over her in April

A car was left at the scene of the fatal incident in Hemper Lane, Greenhill, Sheffield 

Passing sentence, she said the boy will only spend half the sentence in custody and because he has been locked up since April he will be released in just four months. 

But the decision provoked outrage from Ms Grant’s heartbroken family, who felt ‘completely let down’, adding: ‘The last eight months has been torture, our anguish only to be compounded by the reduction in criminal charges brought against the defendant charged with the death of our mother. 

READ MORE: ‘Looks like I got my first kill’: Chilling words of knife-wielding boy, 13, after he ran over grandmother, 60, in her own car are revealed – as he admits death by dangerous driving

‘We feel completely let down by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and their lack of willingness to allow our mum’s story to be heard and brought to meaningful justice.

‘We strongly believe that the evidence on hand shows a complete disregard for human life and clear premeditation to do serious harm.

‘We also believe that decisions made by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council played a critical role in the circumstances which led to our mum’s death.

‘Our mother was killed on her own driveway by a young person wearing a balaclava, carrying a stolen knife, and in the act of stealing her car when he ran her over not once, but twice.

‘Our mum looked after many vulnerable and troubled children during her time as a foster carer and as a civilian. We have seen these young lives be touched by her love, kindness, and generosity.

‘Still, this whole ordeal leaves us with so many unanswered questions and we are completely heartbroken that our mother will not get the justice she deserves.

‘We are truly thankful for all the support we have received from family, friends, and the public. We fully intend to keep searching for answers and we ask that you continue to respect our privacy as we grieve for our beloved mum and wife.’

Ms Grant’s daughter, Gemma, revealed that her father, Delroy, has been ‘deeply traumatised’ by the death of his wife and suffers ‘frequent flashbacks’. 

Ms Grant was fostering the child when he ran over her and killed her in April 

Police were called to the Sheffield suburb after Ms Grant was run over by the boy, then aged 12

In a statement, she said he has feelings of ‘helplessness and anger’ that he was unable to save his wife and has been left ‘exhausted, shaking and sick’, and unable to function from ‘stress’ and ‘panic attacks’.  

‘The trauma of this is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life’, she said.

She said that she feels ‘guilty’ that she wasn’t there to prevent the tragedy. ‘Maybe I could have saved her,’ she added.

She told the court she will ‘never forgive’ the defendant, adding: ‘The one person who could have guided us through this isn’t here. Between us we have lost a wife, mother, carer, grandparent, best friend, life coach and guiding light.

‘This loss is felt over and over again, when we encounter feelings of anger or depression, we turn to her for someone to talk to, but she isn’t here.’ 

Her brother, Shaun Grant, said the family’s lives had been ‘turned upside down.’ 

‘I have been existing in a complete fog constantly asking the question as to how someone could have such disregard for human life’, he said. 

‘I have had my best friend ripped away from me with no chance to say goodbye. With no chance to tell her how amazing she was as a mum, wife and foster carer.’

He added that ‘whilst my own pain is often unbearable, my dad’s trauma goes beyond the level of comprehension

The judge said no sentence can compensate Ms Grant’s family for their loss. ‘She was the shining lone star of her family and committed foster carer who dedicated herself to making disadvantaged children’s lives better.’

But she added that she accepted the boy ‘didn’t mean to kill her’.

Floral tributes left outside a house on Hemper Lane, Greenhill, Sheffield, following the death 

The boy was arrested shortly after on suspicion of murder and possession of a kitchen knife

In a statement to police the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he took the car to drive to be with his mother and took the knife for his own ‘protection’.

‘I had never driven a car before so struggled to do so,’ he said.

The boy told police he remembered seeing Mr and Ms Grant ‘rush out’.

‘I was in a state of panic, I did not know Marcia was behind the car. I never intended to hit her or cause her any harm’, he said. 

‘I saw an opportunity to run from the car when Delroy smashed the window. I was scared. I’m very sorry for what has happened.’

Sheffield Crown Court heard the boy had never driven before and struggled to control the car when he reversed into Ms Grant, knocking her down and reversing over her, causing her to suffer fatal injuries. 

Prosecutors said there was no evidence he had intended to harm Ms Grant and that his intention was just to drive away.

Speaking in court today, judge Ms Justice May told the youth: ‘You made a bad choice. You knew that taking her car was wrong. You knew that taking her kitchen knife was wrong.’

The court heard Ms Grant had been a foster carer since 2016 and the defendant had been staying with her for a short period the time of her death.

Prosecutor Mark McKone KC said the teen ‘claimed to have been a gangster since aged nine’ and had a number of disagreements with Ms Grant’s husband Delroy, including one about him watching ‘inappropriate television’. 

The court heard that on the night of Ms Grant’s death the boy took car keys and a knife from the kitchen, crept out to the car and tried to drive it away.

Police outside a house in Sheffield after the boy was arrested 

Detective Chief Inspector Andrea Bowell paid tribute to Ms Grant, hailing her a ‘pillar of the community’

Mr Grant told police his wife shouted ‘Someone’s taking the car’, but believed she did not initially realise it was the defendant.

Ms Grant ran out to try to stop the thief and went to the back of the car before the defendant reversed the vehicle, knocking her over.

The court heard that when Mr Grant went to the back of the car he saw his wife on her back with her feet under the vehicle and ‘pleaded’ with the boy to stop driving.

He smashed the car window and the boy got out and fled the scene, saying ‘Sorry, sorry,’ Mr McKone said.

When he was arrested after trying to run away from police, he told a policewoman: ‘I’m going to f****** kill your family, you b****, and I don’t give a f***.’

The boy asked officers ‘Is she dead?’ before saying ‘It was an accident, I swear’, five minutes later. A previous court hearing was told the child also said: ‘Looks like I got my first kill?’

In a prepared statement to police, the defendant said he was taking the car so he could drive to see his mother. 

He said: ‘I had a good relationship with Marcia and Delroy; however, I always missed being with my family and wished to be with them.

‘When I returned to Marcia’s home having left I decided I needed to be with my mother. I was worried if I travelled alone I could be attacked so I took a knife from the kitchen for my own protection.

‘I remember starting the engine, putting the gear into reverse. I have never driven a car before and so struggled to do so.

‘I remember seeing Marcia rush out then Delroy after. Delroy was on my right side shouting and hitting the car window. I was in a state of panic, I didn’t know Marcia was behind the car. I never intended to hit her or cause her any harm. I’m very sorry for what has happened.’

The 13-year-old pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing. A charge of murder was dropped by prosecutors when they accepted the plea.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife taken from foster carer Ms Grant’s kitchen, which was found on him when he was arrested about an hour after the incident on April 5. 

Judge Mrs Justice May added: ‘Custody is the last resort for a child – but causing her death was so serious that it must be custody’.

Richard Wright KC, mitigating, said the boy had had ‘an extremely challenging childhood’ and was ‘thriving’ in youth detention. 

Speaking today, Detective Chief Inspector Andrea Bowell, said: ‘Since Marcia’s death, our thoughts have been with her family and friends after she was taken from them in the most difficult of circumstances.

‘Marcia was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend and a pillar of her community. Her death has had a profound effect on everyone who loved her.

‘Although the criminal justice process has concluded today, I am aware that this brings no resolution or closure for Marcia’s family. They will continue to grieve their tremendous loss, and will do so for the rest of their lives.

‘Losing someone so dearly loved at the hands of another is unbearable and our condolences remain with them at this incredibly difficult time. We ask that their privacy is respected.’

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