In 1997, my students and I traveled to Croagh Patrick, a mountain in County Mayo, as part of a study abroad program course on Irish literature I was teaching for the University of Dayton. I wanted my students to visit the place where, each July, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to St. Patrick, who, according to lore, fasted and prayed on the summit for 40 days.
While there, our tour guide relayed the story of how St. Patrick, as he lay on his death bed on March 17 in A.D. 461, supposedly asked those gathered around him to toast his heavenly journey with a “wee drop of whiskey” to ease their pain.
The mention of whiskey left me wondering if St. Patrick may have unintentionally influenced the way most of the world celebrates the holiday today: by drinking.
It wasn’t always this way. The Festival of St. Patrick began in the 17th century as a religious and cultural commemoration of the bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland. In Ireland, there’s still an important religious and cultural component to the holiday, even as it has simply become an excuse to wear green and heavily drink in the rest of the world.
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The legend of St. Patrick
Because historical details about St. Patrick’s life remain shrouded in speculation, scholars are often stymied in their attempts to separate fact from legend.
In his spiritual memoir, “Confessio,” St. Patrick describes how he was brought to Ireland as a slave. He eventually escaped, rejoining his family in Britain, probably Scotland. But while there, he had a recurring dream, in which the “Voice of the Irish” called to him to return to Ireland in order to baptize and minister to them. So he did.
The Irish revere the account of this dream described in the “Confessio”; they accept the simplicity and fervor of his words and feel a debt of gratitude for his unselfish commitment to their spiritual well-being.
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St. Patrick’s efforts to convert the Irish to Catholicism were never easy. Viewing him as a challenge to their power and authority, the high kings of Ireland and the pagan high priests, called Druids, resisted his efforts to make inroads with the population.
Performers take part in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin ((Evan Treacy/PA))
But through his missionary zeal, he was able to fuse Irish culture into Christianity, whether it was through the introduction of the Celtic Cross or the use of bonfires to celebrate feasts like Easter.
Again, many of these stories could amount to no more than myth. Nonetheless, centuries after his death, the Irish continue to show their gratitude for their patron saint by wearing a spray of shamrocks on March 17. They start the day with mass, followed by a daylong feast, and prayer and reflection at night.
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St. Paddy’s Day goes global
From 1820 to 1860, almost 2 million people left Ireland, many due to the potato famine in the 1840s and 1850s. More followed in the 20th century to reunite with relatives and escape poverty and joblessness back home.
Once settled, they found new ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and their Irish identity in their new homes.
Irish-Americans, especially, were quick to transform March 17 into a commercial enterprise. The mandatory “wearin’ of the green” in all its garishness is a far cry from the original tradition of wearing a spray of shamrocks to honor St. Patrick’s death and celebrate Irish solidarity. Parades famously sprung up – especially in New York and Boston – revelry ensued and, sure enough, even the beer became green.
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The Princess of Wales enjoys a glass of Guinness during a visit to the Irish Guards for their St Patrick’s Day parade at Wellington Barracks ((Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA))
Children of Irish-Americans in the United States have absorbed Irish culture at a distance. Many probably know that St. Patrick is Ireland’s patron saint. But they might not fully appreciate his mythic stature for kids growing up on the emerald isle.
Ask children of any age in Ireland what they know about St. Patrick, and they will regale you with stories of his magical abilities, from his power to drive the snakes out of Ireland to his use of the three leaves and one stem of the shamrock to demystify the Trinity doctrine of the Catholic Church.
They see St. Patrick as a miracle worker, and as adults, they keep the legends alive in their own ways. Some follow St. Patrick’s footsteps all around Ireland – from well to hill to altar to chapel – seeking his blessing and bounty wherever their journeys take them.
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Raising a glass
Of course, in America, the holy day is really a party, above all else.
About the author
James Farrelly is a Professor of English at University of Dayton. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Americans have in some years spent US$6.16 billion celebrating, with 13 million pints of Guinness consumed. Some parts of the country have even held a pre-celebration on Sept. 17 – or, as they call it, “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day.”
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Where all of this leads is anyone’s guess. But beginning in the 1990s, Ireland seemed to grasp the earning potential of the Americanized version. March 17 remains a holy day for the natives and a holiday for tourists from around the world, with pubs raking in the euros on St. Patrick’s Day.
But I’ve always wondered: What if St. Patrick had requested a silent prayer instead of “a wee drop of whiskey” to toast his passing? Would his celebration have stayed more sacred than profane?
This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 16, 2021
Police have advised drivers to seek alternative routes
A major Cambridgeshire road has been closed due to a car fire. The A605 Stanground in Peterborough is shut Friday evening (March 13) following a car fire. The incident was first reported at around 5.30pm near to the Morrisons supermarket.
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Emergency services are currently on scene at the incident dealing with the fire. Drivers have been advised to seek alternative routes while the road closure is in place.
Traffic monitoring site Inrix said: “A605 Stanground in both directions closed, queueing traffic due to vehicle fire from Morrisons turn off to B1092 Whittlesey Road.”
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “A605 Stanground between Morrisons is closed at this time due to a car fire, please seek alternative route.”
It is unclear whether anybody has been injured in the fire at this stage. Cambridgeshire Live has contacted the fire service for more information.
Coronation Street star Harriet Bibby has been flooded with messages of support as she offered an update on the role she’s taking on away from the cobbles.
Fans of the ITV soap best know the actress for playing Summer Spellman after she was recast in the role back in 2020. But in January, Harriet revealed she’s set to do something new away from her role on Corrie.
Taking to Instagram on Friday (January 16), she revealed that she’s teaming up with writer Ian Kershaw, know for his work on the soap and is also the husband of Corrie legend Julie Hesmondhalgh, aka Hayley Cropper, to bring back award-winning play, My Name Is Rachel Corrie.
It tells the tragic story of young American activist Rachel, who travelled to Gaza in 2003 as part of an international peace brigade – living with Palestinian families, resisting the destruction of their homes. She died, aged 23, after being crushed by an Israeli armoured bulldozer.
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Take Back theatre and 53Two are co-producing the Manchester premiere of the play, based entirely on the young American peace activist’s diaries and emails, from March 18 to March 22. Sharing the news on Instagram in January, Harriet shared: “We’ve been working on something beautiful! @ijkershaw @takebacktheatre @53two @reddoormanagement. Ticket link in bio.”
Now, with opening night now just days away, Harriet returned to Instagram on Friday (March 13) to offer an exciting update. Posting a selfie alongside Ian and Grant Archer, she said: “It’s true!! We had our final rehearsal yesterday and next week is SHOW WEEK! Tickets are selling fast so if you haven’t got yours yet, the link is in my bio! Can’t wait to see you all there.”
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Corrie co-star Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina Lucas, was quick to show her support as she commented on the post: “Woooooo [heart emojis],” while This Morning’s soap expert Sharon Marshall was seen commenting: “You go girl!”
And fans were also sending messages. @brandonbrindle said: “Awesome! I hope you have an amazing time performing this play. Much love from Canada.” @meenahollow replied: “Unbelievably excited for this project. Good on you.” @mattjj1989 added: “Can’t wait to see you on Thursday.”
Speaking about being involved with the one-woman-play with Ian, Harriet recently told the Mirror: “He saw the play 20 years ago and caught me in work and asked if I’d be interested. It’s beautifully put together. It’s all Rachel’s own words from her diaries and emails home. A lot of the play is quite light-hearted. You are meeting this young woman who is curious, smart, weird and funny, but it’s also very poignant, so it’s emotionally draining and challenging too.”
The U.S. is temporarily easing some sanctions on Russian oil shipments, reflecting global concerns over sharply higher crude prices due to supply shortages stemming from the Iran war.
The move, intended to soothe jittery markets over the disruption of Middle Eastern oil and gas supplies, underlines how the war has boosted Moscow’s ability to profit from its energy exports, a pillar of the Kremlin’s budget as it presses its invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that’s been loaded on tankers as of Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on X. That would give reluctant purchasers a green light to take the oil without worrying that they will run afoul of U.S. sanctions rules.
The Trump administration earlier had granted a 30-day reprieve to refineries in India.
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Bessent said the “narrowly tailored, short-term measure” was part of President Donald Trump’s “decisive steps to promote stability in global energy markets” and to “keep prices low.”
Allowing the sale of stranded Russian oil would provide no additional financial benefit for the Russian government because the Kremlin already taxed the oil when it was extracted from the ground, Bessent said. Washington has sanctioned Russia’s two biggest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, as part of efforts to end the fighting in Ukraine. Except for the 30-day reprieve for floating oil, those sanctions remain in place.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday the move will help stabilize global energy markets, adding it was impossible to do so “without significant volumes of Russian oil.”
“This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war,” Zelenskyy said. “It spends the money from energy sales on weapons, and all of this is then used against us.”
Oil prices stayed high after the announcement
The price of international benchmark Brent crude eased after the announcement but soon rose again, breaking through $100 to trade at $103.24 per barrel as of 1800 GMT (2 p.m. EDT) Friday. That is still well above $72.87, where Brent traded on Feb. 27, the eve of the war.
The fighting has choked off most tanker transport through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which 20% of the world’s oil supply typically passes. That has dealt a massive energy shock to the global economy and threatened increased inflation around the world.
“In the short term this slightly increases available supply on the global market, which helps contain the current spike in oil prices,” said Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. “The impact on prices should therefore be modestly downward, or at least stabilizing.”
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Analysts estimate about 125 million barrels of Russian oil are currently being shipped. That equals five or six days’ worth of normal shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, or a bit over one day’s worth of global consumption of about 101 million barrels per day.
Sanctions have cut into Russia’s oil revenues.
After President Vladimir Putin ordered his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union — once Moscow’s biggest customer — stopped taking Russian oil, and many Western customers also shunned it.
Instead, the oil flowed to China and India, where it sold for a discount due to efforts by the U.S., the EU and Kyiv’s other allies to impose a price cap on Russian oil that was enforced through shipping and insurance companies.
Over time, Russia was able to dodge the cap by lining up a fleet of used tankers with obscure ownership and insurance based in countries that weren’t observing the cap.
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Along with the sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, Ukraine’s allies penalized more and more of the individual vessels in Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Customers in China and India started demanding even bigger discounts to compensate for the risk of running afoul of sanctions, for the hassle of concealing the origin of the oil, or for finding workarounds that skirted banks reluctant to handle payments for sanctioned oil.
In December, Russia’s Urals blend traded under $40 per barrel, some $25 below Brent. That slashed the Kremlin’s oil revenues to their lowest levels since the invasion. Oil and gas exports typically supply 20% to 30% of the federal budget.
Rising oil prices boost Russia’s market position
Russian oil has risen along with oil prices generally and now trades at over $80 per barrel — a boost to its financial fortunes if disruptions continue in the Strait of Hormuz and keep prices high while refineries in Asia need to replace supplies no longer available from the Middle East.
Russia’s daily revenue from oil sales during the Iran war has been on average 14% higher than in February, according to the nonprofit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Russia has been earning 510 million euros ($588 million) every day this month from oil and liquefied natural gas exports, according to Isaac Levi of the CREA.
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But there’s still a big discount to Brent due to sanctions. The latest U.S. move “likely narrows the Urals discount somewhat” by reducing sanctions risk, Tagliapietra said. But since it’s limited, the U.S. move “does not fundamentally change the structure of longer-term Russian oil flows or sanctions pressure.”
Former Russian Central Bank official Sergei Aleksashenko said the move “will not be a very significant boost” to the Russian budget because the oil was going to find buyers anyway — especially given the disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration may not have been ready for such a dramatic spike or for a prolonged war, said Aleksashenko, head of economics at the NEST Centre, founded by exiled Russian tycoon and opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Now that gasoline prices in the U.S. have risen along with oil, “the president should say something, that ‘I’m dealing with the problem,’” he said. That includes the break for India and the release along with other countries of 400 million barrels of strategic oil reserves..
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“In my view it’s more rhetoric and perception,” he said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said leaders of the Group of Seven democracies discussed Russian oil with Trump this week and that “six members expressed a very clear view that this is not the right signal to send.”
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Kostya Manenko in Tallinn, Estonia, and Kwiyeon Ha in London contributed.
Previous rain seasons have seen flooding, landslides and mudslides that have left hundreds of people dead and seen thousands of others displaced.
The region is expected to see more rain and governments have urged residents to exercise caution.
Last month, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre said the March-April-May rainy season has a 45% chance of above-average rainfall across most countries in the region, including Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, Northern Somalia, and Djibouti.
The mast would have been 14 metres taller than the tree line
An application for a huge telecommunications monopole in North Belfast has been refused at City Hall for being too “prominent.”
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Elected representatives at the March meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee refused an application for a proposed 25 metres monopole with six antennas, four transmission dishes, and two equipment cabinets.
The site would have been at Loughside playing fields, Shore Road, BT15. The applicant was EE (UK) Ltd and Hutchison, 3G UK Ltd, Reading, England.
The monopole would have been situated to the rear of the Loughside recreation centre and in close proximity to the two playing fields.
Council Planning officers recommended the application for refusal. The official planning report on the application states: “Having regard to the development plan and other considerations, the proposal is unacceptable. The proposal is contrary to policies in the Belfast Local Development Plan: Plan Strategy 2035.
“The siting, height, scale and design of the proposal would negatively impact on the area of protected open space and it has not been demonstrated that community benefits would decisively outweigh the loss of the open space.”
It adds: “The proposal does not satisfactorily sit within this existing character and will create an overly prominent feature. The height of the proposal far exceeds that of the mature planting and trees, limiting the screening they can provide especially over medium and long distances thus failing criterion.
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“Whilst the development is situated away from the tree line, the visual impact is considered significant and will detract from the established tree line which characterises this part of Shore Road.
“The mast will be located in an area of open space to the immediate south of the currently vacant recreation centre. The surrounding area is mixed use with commercial and residential uses.
“It will be significantly taller than any other structures in the immediate area and the proposal is nine metres taller than existing street lighting. The proposal will be 17 metres taller than the recreation centre and 14 metres taller than the tree line. Public views will be open to the mast throughout the park and will be highly visible from the surrounding area.”
It concludes: “If permitted the proposal would significantly change the established skyline and would create an unacceptable level of visual clutter which does not integrate with the surroundings.”
Cruz Beckham appears to have made another subtle dig at older brother Brooklyn’s career, leaving fans in stitches.
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This isn’t the first time the 21-year-old has mocked Brooklyn, 27, for his ever-changing job titles.
Previously, at the height of rumours of a family feud, musician Cruz responded to a TikTok comment asking: ‘Are you going to stick with this job or going to become a race car driver next or something?’
Throwing some serious shade in former aspiring footballer/model/photographer Brooklyn’s direction, Cruz replied: ‘Wrong brother mate’.
But now, he’s taken things up a notch by creating his own cooking content.
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‘wanna see the best cooking video ever ?👌 don’t watch this then’, he quipped in his TikTok caption as he shared a montage of clips from making a ‘cheesy potato soup’.
Cruz Beckham told family friend Gordon Ramsay to ‘watch out’ as he showcased his own culinary skills (Picture: TikTok)
Of course, older brother Brooklyn is famous for his own cooking content (Picture: Instagram)
With Dolce Nonna playing in the background, the youngest Beckham boy chopped up his ingredients and combined them to make the dish, serving the soup in a bowl with seasoning.
Joking that, ‘as gross as it looks, it’s actually decent’, Cruz flashed the camera a thumbs up after the meal was ready to eat
Naturally, it didn’t take long for people to sense a hidden motive behind his social media content.
‘This is so passive aggressive. I love it!!’, commented @suzanneevans76.
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‘Cruz could you do a video of your photography as well please’, mocked @jayjayoasis, while @j.h9045 declared: ‘Cruz takes on Brooklyn and wins 💯’
@jnwood12 called him ‘probably the best Beckham child to cook’, and @sarahmeredith1804 said: ‘Now this is the level of pettiness I can really appreciate 😁’
Cruz served up a cheesy potato soup (Picture: TikTok)
…and everyone reckons it was a dig at his estranged sibling (Picture: Instagram)
‘Brooklyn currently trying to learn guitar as retaliation 😬🙈’, joked @liannegarner.
Despite Brooklyn insisting he has no desire to reconcile with his family, having accused his parents of ‘controlling’ him and ‘disrespecting’ wife Nicola Peltz, 31, Cruz still wished him a happy birthday earlier this month.
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Stepping out in Paris, France, with his girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, 30, Cruz was asked by a TMZ videographer: ‘Any well wishes to your brother? It’s his birthday,’ to which he replied, ‘Happy birthday,’ with a smile.
Cruz dipped his head and stayed silent when asked if he’d had any contact with Brooklyn lately, before the reporter probed: ‘Any chance you guys will repair the relationship? Are you hopeful for that?’
‘Hopefully,’ Cruz said back, wishing the journalist a ‘lovely day’ before walking away.
Cruz recently wished Brooklyn a happy 27th birthday and said he’s hopeful they can reconcile (Picture: Instagram)
Brooklyn, on the other hand, ‘does not wish’ to patch things up with anyone Picture: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
He had already posted a throwback snap to his Instagram Story that day for Brooklyn’s special occasion, writing ‘I love you’ alongside it; his parents, David and Victoria, did the same, as did middle brother Romeo, 23.
Brooklyn did not respond publicly, however, nor did he wish Cruz a happy 21st in February.
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Instead, he celebrated his 27th in the US with Nicola, who penned an affectionate caption for her husband, whom she wed in 2022 and renewed her vows with last year.
The Lola actress wrote alongside a video of him blowing out his candles: ‘happy birthday baby 🎂 i hope all your dreams and wishes come true! you light up every room you walk into and anyone who knows you loves you 🥹 you’re the most special human and i love being your wife. i love you i love you i love you’.
It’s been claimed he and Nicola felt ‘disheartened’ upon seeing his family’s birthday tributes, with an insider telling ET: ‘These are the exact type of performative public actions that Brooklyn has been trying to put an end to, to no avail.
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The chef has vowed to ‘always protect’ his wife, having accused his parents of trying to break them up (Picture: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Vogue)
‘Last summer, they issued a legal letter to his parents requesting that any correspondence go through lawyers.’
Indeed, he previously called his family out for so-called ‘inauthentic relationships’ when he issued a scathing takedown of ‘Brand Beckham’ via a shocking statement in January.
Neither David nor Victoria has issued a full response to Brooklyn’s claims, but instead have kept up appearances with joint family outings to events and sweet online posts.
And despite the drama and being blocked by Brooklyn, sources have claimed they would still take him back ‘in a minute’ as they don’t want to ‘lose’ their son.
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Oil has climbed above 100 dollars a barrel for the first time since 2022 amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, pushing up wholesale fuel costs.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said prices have “rocketed” and are likely to keep rising, with unleaded expected to hit 140p per litre and diesel potentially reaching at least 160p.
To help you get the best deal on your petrol or diesel, we’ve compiled a list of the cheapest garages in and around Sunderland, according to PetrolPrices on Friday (March 13).
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Cheapest Unleaded Around Sunderland
Sainsbury’s Riverside Road, Sunderland 133.9p
North Hylton BP 135.9p
Asda on Thompson Road 137.7p
Asda Station on Leechmere Road Industrial Estate 137.9p
Sainsbury’s on Silksworth Lane 138.9p
Shell on Ryhope Road 139.9p
Esso on Durham Road 140.9p
Cheapest Diesel Around Sunderland
Sainsbury’s Riverside Road, Sunderland 154.9p
North Hylton BP 156.9p
Asda on Thompson Road 157.7p
Asda Station on Leechmere Road Industrial Estate 157.9p
Clyde Valley High in Wishaw, St Andrew’s High in Coatbridge and Chryston High have new recycling bins located around the school grounds.
Pupils at three secondary schools in North Lanarkshire are playing their part in reducing litter and carbon emissions in their communities.
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Clyde Valley High in Wishaw, St Andrew’s High in Coatbridge and Chryston High have new recycling bins located around the school grounds.
The bins were provided by the council’s waste services team as a pilot project. Each bin has sections for paper and card, glass, metal and plastic, and general waste.
Pupils from the Sustainability Group at Clyde Valley High School met Councillor Helen Loughran, Convener of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, Councillor Anne McCrory, Vice Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee, to explain how they are promoting recycling and carbon awareness across the school.
The Sustainability Committee members said: “The new bins make it easier for everyone to recycle and really support the projects we’re leading to make our school more sustainable.”
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Yvonne McKenna, acting headteacher at Clyde Valley High, said: “We are very proud of the work of our Sustainability Committee and are glad to have the facilities to support the improvements pupils are leading in this crucial area.”
“Recycling our waste is a simple but important way we can all help reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change,” Councillor Loughran explained.
“Our kerbside waste service makes it easy for residents to recycle their household rubbish, and by providing these bins in schools, we are encouraging young people to dispose of their litter responsibly from an early age.”
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“Well done to the pupils at Clyde Valley, Chryston and St Andrew’s High Schools for raising awareness of the impact of litter on our local communities,” said Councillor McCrory.
“It was inspiring to hear the commitment and enthusiasm of the members of the Clyde Valley High Sustainability Group in making a difference to the environmental issues affecting us all.”
The council is supporting environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Spring Clean campaign which starts on 13 March and brings people together to take part in community litter picks.
The A64 will be shut overnight between Staxton and Seamer.
A spokesperson for National Highways said: “We’re carrying out essential carriageway repairs, technical surveys and routine maintenance on the A64 between Staxton and Seamer.
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“To protect the workforce and drivers during the works, we will need to close the route in both directions between Staxton and Seamer on the nights of 16, 17, 18 and 19 March.
“Each closure will take place overnight (9pm-6am).
“During the closures, traffic will be diverted via the A1039 and A165. Local access will be maintained.
“While these are essential maintenance and repairs, we will try to minimise disruption as much as possible.”
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For more information go to https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/yorkshire-and-north-east/yorkshire-and-north-east-maintenance-schemes
Javonnie Tavener was sentenced to five years and four months after killing Mayar Yahia as she walked home from Eid celebrations with her family on Upper Highgate Street in Birmingham
A motorist who killed a four year old girl in a collision as she walked home from Eid celebrations with her family has been imprisoned.
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Javonnie Tavener, 23, previously admitted causing death by careless driving after striking little Mayar Yahia with his vehicle on Upper Highgate Street in Birmingham on April 14, 2024. The collision also left two others – Mayar’s mother, Sara, and another mother, Awadia Hammed – seriously injured.
Tavener also pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving and a further charge of causing death whilst driving uninsured.
At Birmingham Crown Court today, Tavener was imprisoned for three years and 10 months for offences related to careless driving. He received an additional 18-month sentence for assaulting and attempting to strangle his girlfriend several weeks later, bringing his total imprisonment to five years and four months.
He was also banned from driving for six years, reports the Mirror.
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The same court previously heard that two vehicles collided before Tavener’s Vauxhall Corsa crashed through a barrier and into the group. During the sentencing hearing, the judge heard that following the collision Tavener remained at the scene for nine seconds before reversing, causing Mayar to be dragged by the vehicle.
He and a passenger then exited the car and fled on foot, the court was told.
Emergency services arrived at the scene and discovered Mayar on the roadside, where she was tragically declared dead. One of the women Tavener injured spent nearly a month in hospital and needed surgery, whilst the other remained hospitalised for approximately three weeks.
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In a statement read to the court on Friday, Mayar’s father, Babiker Yahia, explained how the family lived close to the crash scene, providing them with a “constant reminder” of the tragedy.
“I stayed with Mayar when she was taken from the collision and transported to hospital – that night will remain with me forever,” he said.
He added that Mayar was the third of four children and was “full of love, always smiling” and “kind to everyone”. “Mayar’s siblings were with her at the time of the collision, [they] were young and witnessed it,” he said.
“They have been exposed to so much trauma, and we do not know how this will shape their lives as they grow.”
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Sentencing, His Honour Judge Cooke said Tavener had been driving at excessive speed whilst attempting to overtake another vehicle in a 20mph zone at night, “with cannabis in your system and using a phone”. The judge continued: “The victim was a vulnerable pedestrian – you were on your phone, it was a car with no insurance. You said you were a rear passenger instead of the driver. The passenger’s post incident conduct was a disgraceful as yours.
“You abandoned the car at the scene, after reversing, presumably to try to leave, dragging little Mayar. You walked off calling for your girlfriend.
“The callous way in which you walked away from the mayhem was sickening to watch. You blamed a phantom driver.”
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Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes, from the West Midlands Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, previously said: “Mayar was just four years old when her life was tragically taken away from her. She was walking back with her family and friends after celebrating Eid.
“Pedestrians should be afforded and be reassured of protection when walking on the pavement and a split-second decision by Tavener to overtake where he did has led to this tragic chain of events. I would urge all drivers to think about this incident and how those decisions can have such catastrophic consequences.”
